Learn to Fly
by TheWindAlchemist
Summary: Hinata's only dream is to fly. However, her constant endeavors to fly -Ahem, jumping off of bridges - only land her in the Akatsuki Mental Hospital, whose hearty slogan is, "We're as mad as you are, only we know what to do." DeiHina
1. Chapter 1

Augh! It's been so long!

I've been inactive for so long, and I don't even spit out an update for Rich Girl…

You see, I've been busy finding my place in the world/internet and just finished freshman year. Lots happened, I don't care to bore you with the details…

So, without further ado, here's a story just for you!

-:-

_For the longest time, all I've wanted was to fly._

It was night, and there she was, standing on the edge of the Great Konoha Bridge, her hands only loosely gripping the railing behind her. The water splashed a few hundred feet below, and the wind blew the ocean's air against her face. Slowly, she reached an arm out, feeling the breeze at her fingertips. Her eyes, once closed and still, opened to see the cityscape before her. Briefly, she wondered what would happen if she jumped. Would she fly?

Slowly, one by one, her fingers slipped away from the railing.

One by one, her troubles left her.

One by one, she left them behind.

She was no longer connected to the world when someone yelled out,

"Don't do it!"

-:-

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

She felt cold. What happened?

"_Doctor, Doctor! She's waking up!"_ A woman's voice. Mom?

"_I see. She seems to be doing alright. She should be able to go home tomorrow."_

"_Thank goodness…"_

"_However, Mrs. Hyuga, there's something I need to tell you…"_

Silence.

She dared to open her eyes. Bright blue ones stared back at her. Blue-eyes that belonged to a boy with long blond hair. His left eye was covered by his hair, so she supposed it was just 'a blue eye.' The boy was thin, but somehow muscular. She could feel his strength against the bed, which he used to lean himself close enough to her face to stare. And stare they did, for the longest time.

"Who are you?" She asked, finally.

"I'm Deidara," the blue-eyed boy said. "Who're you?"

She blinked and said, "Hinata. Hinata Hyuga."

Deidara didn't smile. He simply held his hand out for her to shake. She did. "Are you okay?" He asked, leaning back a little. Hinata shook her head. He tilted his. "Why not?" She frowned.

"You didn't let me fly."

Deidara looked at her like they had some kind of connection. Then she saw the corner of his mouth twitch upward in an awkward smirk. "Flying? Is that what you were doing?" Hinata nodded, turning a bit red with embarrassment. "Well, I have to say, you're not very good at it." He chuckled without laughing. Somehow.

"What happened last night, Deidara?"

"Well…" Before he could reply, the doctor and her mother walked back into the room.

"Mr. Deidara, could you leave the room for a few moments?" Deidara nodded to the doctor and left the room silently, looking at Hinata the entire walk. The doctor then turned to Hinata and took a breath.

"Hinata, this is your third suicide attempt." Hinata shook her head. Suicide attempt? That certainly wasn't the case. She glanced at her mother, who was crying silently in the corner. "I'm afraid that I have to assign you to another hospital where they can help you." Hinata wanted to protest; it wasn't suicide – she simply wanted to…

"Your mother and I have talked about the details – where you'll be staying, and how they'll be helping you. Do you understand?" Hinata reluctantly nodded and sighed.

She'd always been like this. Why were they doing this _now?_

Ever since she was little, she'd always been found jumping off of things. Chairs, tables, roofs… She tried telling them she wanted to fly – she really did! – but they wouldn't believe her. They always said, "What a very disturbed child!" or "She's crazy!" and "She needs help!" Was it really that strange? People flew all the time in air planes. Quite frankly, she was getting tired of it.

Deidara entered as the doctor left. He looked at Hinata's mother in the corner and then Hinata on the bed. "Hinata, I just came back to say goodbye." Hinata shook her head and grabbed Deidara's arm. "Wait! You have to… tell me what happened." Deidara looked at her arm. Her grip was weak. He quickly took her hand and gripped it lightly. "The doctor assigned you to a mental hospital, right?" He asked, looking at her. Slowly, she nodded. "How did you know?"

His hand slipped away from hers. "Goodbye, Hinata." He glanced at Hinata's mother before darting out of the room.

-:-

Deidara stalked out of the hospital and took out his cell phone. He punched in some numbers and spoke. "She's alright. They're sending her in tomorrow." The conversation lasted a bit longer before he hung up and started towards the Akatsuki Mental Hospital.

The hospital looked very much like a mansion – four stories tall, a long porch/patio in front with stairs leading to the front door. The grass was much greener than the other yards around, and the gates were more protected than your average estate. However, the fancy exterior didn't quite match the hospital-like interior.

Once inside, you saw the nurse's station in the center, while the entire first floor was made into a bunch of mini activity stations – all of which well monitored by security cameras that linked to the security room in the basement.

Despite its size, the hospital didn't have as many patients as one would think. There were only about twenty at the most, and all of them suffered from more or less the same ailment – insanity.

Deidara walked in like he'd been there all his life.

"Hello, Konan," he greeted the receptionist, who only gave him a blank stare. "Sasori is in his office. He's waiting for you." She told him. Deidara nodded and headed towards his destination.

Sasori twirled in his chair and greeted Deidara. "So! Will I be expecting Ms. Hinata tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Deidara looked downward. He didn't particularly like spying on the rich clients Sasori had wrapped around his finger. The Hyugas were the only ones he was assigned to, but he didn't like it all the same.

Sasori noticed the silence in Deidara. "Is something the matter?" Deidara took a deep breath. "That's it, right? Hinata's coming now, you can handle it all from here, right?" He spoke quickly but clearly. Sasori sensed the urgency in his voice, but shook his head. "I'm afraid it's not that simple." Deidara almost cursed under his breath.

"You see, we also need you to – how should I say – counsel Hinata. Like, be her manager. Just watch her – like you have been for the past ten years. Only, I guess, you can speak to her now." Sasori leaned back in his chair as he contemplated this. Deidara rolled his eyes.

_Great._

-:-

Hinata stood in front of the building, her mother at her side.

"They'll take care of you here, Hinata, darling," her mother said softly. Her grip on Hinata's hand was tight, as if she didn't want to let her go. However, in her mother's eyes, she saw the slight sense of relief. It was as if she were thinking, _she's finally out of my hair._ Hinata didn't like the look or the feeling it gave her. It made her feel unwanted. It was then that she realized that her mother was judging her just like everyone else was.

Huffing, Hinata smoothly strode to the front doors of the Akatsuki Mental Hospital. Her mother awkwardly followed, her hand still tightly gripping her daughter's. "Hinata, dear, please slow down for your mother." Hinata tried to ignore her mother's plea, but found that she couldn't. She _was_ her mother, still.

They made their way to the front desk, where Konan, the receptionist, appointed them to Tobi, the 'tour guide', as he liked to call himself. Tobi chatted mostly to himself about the inner workings of the Hospital as he led them to Sasori's office. He was about to go on a full-on narrative about his first week at the Hospital before Sasori heard them and opened his door.

"Ah, the lovely ladies of the Hyuga family! Welcome, welcome! Come in, yes – Ah, thank you Tobi. Another job well-done, I must say."

Before Tobi could say another word, Sasori slammed the door in his orange-masked face, and that was the end of that.

Hinata didn't listen too closely on what Sasori and her mother discussed. She was more focused on the many wooden planks with clever sayings on them. The biggest one was displayed above Sasori's chair.

It read, **Here at Akatsuki Mental Hospital, ** - here it was abbreviated AMH – **We're as mad as you are. Only we know what to do.**

Just then, Hinata realized, Sasori and her mother were wrapping up their arrangements and shook hands. He looked at her and smiled a businessman's smile and said, "Here at Akatsuki, we're just as mad as you are. Only we know what to do."

-:-

Deidara, as he walked toward the Hospital, noticed a very fancy car parked outside the gates. He saw a familiar lady with signature blue hair walk out of the building, Sasori waving goodbye to her from the doorway. He spotted Deidara behind the gate and winked at him.

Mrs. Hyuga passed him on the walkway. She looked at him wearily as she stepped toward the car. She paused and waved for him to stand next to her.

"You're… Deidara, aren't you?" She asked in a soft, worried tone. Deidara nodded. "You're going to be the one taking care of my daughter, Hinata. You remember, the girl in the hospital, don't you?" Deidara nodded again, a bit surprised at the news. He glanced at Sasori, who was still at the door.

"She's in there now… I'm afraid that this will be my last time seeing her until she is fully, um, cured." She said the word like she was unsure. She gulped back a sob as she began to cry. "Would it be too much to ask if… if you could… take care of Hinata? Watch over her, please. Make sure she gets the help she needs… please?" By now she had grabbed Deidara's jacket sleeve and was gripping it tightly. "M… Maybe once she's healed, her father will look at her again…"

Deidara, his almost-never smiling face, cracked a reassuring grin to Mrs. Hyuga. "I… promise, Mrs. Hyuga." He told her softly. They stared at each other, as if searching out the trust in each other. Then, she let one tear fall down her cheek before stepping into the car.

"Thank you, Deidara, thank you."

-:-

Hinata was waiting back in Sasori's office, continuing to read the other signs on his wall. She reflected on what just happened – her tearful goodbye with her mother. Well, tearful on her mother's end. She didn't seem to grasp that they'd be seeing each other again after this whole ordeal is over – whenever that is.

Sasori walked back into the room with a familiar boy with blonde hair.

"Hinata, I'd like you to meet someone." The familiar boy sat down next to her and tried not to look in her direction. "This is –" Suddenly, his name came to her, and she finished Sasori's sentence. "Deidara."

Deidara looked at her, and she stared at him. Sasori had a wide grin on his face, mischievous in some respects as he said, "Ah, so you've met. Where? When?" He already knew the answer, but he felt it was necessary to not raise suspicion in any way.

Hinata tilted her head to the side. "At… the bridge. When I… tried to fly. That's when." She explained in a slow sentence, still mesmerized by Deidara's familiarity. He nodded to her, then turned his attention to Sasori.

"Hinata, Deidara will be your… how should I say… caretaker. He'll be the person you see most in this facility – the person who guides you to complete health. I do hope you get along."

After explaining a few more things, he dismissed them both so Deidara could show her to her room.

They walked in silence most of the way.

When they got to the room, Deidara opened the door and let Hinata in first.

Her first impression was… well… she didn't particularly like it. The room was a little less white than the hallway, and the bed was unmade. The drawers were open and full of clothes, and the bed was unmade. There were clothes on the floor and a table with unfinished take-out food container on top of it. She frowned and looked at Deidara.

"Excuse me, but this room seems to be already inhabited…" she said softly as Deidara led them fully inside. He sighed and closed the door. "Yeah. By me. This is my room." He locked the door, and Hinata immediately ran to the other side of the room. He looked at her, perplexed at first, but then he understood the situation.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Deidara, but I'm afraid I don't like you that way. I'm afraid we're not close enough to be sharing a room as messy as this… together. I'd like to request a room all my own, and I'd like to be the only one with the key-" Hinata spoke quickly, leaving little room for Deidara to interrupt and explain.

"Hinata, I know, I know. Locking the door is only policy. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. Your room is over here."

He walked over to a door that Hinata thought was the closet. However, when he opened it, it revealed a whole other room entirely. It was pristine white with one barred window facing the rising sun. The bed and sheets were pleasingly colorful – a touch of normalcy in this mental hospital. There was a side table and a wardrobe with drawers underneath. There was an empty bookshelf to the side, as television was provided downstairs only.

Hinata smiled a little as she went around to explore a little. Deidara began to explain why the rooms were so… strangely connected.

"Well, Hinata, since I am your 'Caretaker,' as Sasori put it, I am required to keep an eye on you as much as I can." Hinata was in the wardrobe, looking through the pre-arranged clothes in the drawers. A sort of white suit – the kind you'd see in hospitals, only a little fancier and normal-looking. "So there's only one way out of this room, and that's through my room. It's so you won't be able to sneak out without my knowing. That's all it really is." Hinata held up the strange attire from the drawers and muttered to herself, "Can't I have my own clothes in here?"

Deidara ignored her comment and walked to where a button was placed by the bed. "This is an intercom speaker, connected to mine in the other room. You can contact me through this. However, you can also reach me by pressing the button on this necklace. Here." He walked over to her, but she was too busy exploring the wardrobe to notice his approach. When he cleared his throat, she stood straight up and turned around, only to be face-to-face with Deidara. Well, his chest, since he was taller, but still. It was the closeness that made her turn a bright red.

She'd never been this close to a boy before.

He seemed to be equally uncomfortable, but he quickly let the feeling subside as he handed her the necklace. She took it and examined it carefully. She pressed the button, and a red light started blinking in his black shirt. He took it out and revealed a matching necklace. "See? Instant access. This power is only yours, okay? Don't abuse it." He waited for her to nod before stepping back. She looked at the necklace and then at Deidara. She smiled warmly at him.

"Thank you!" She gave him a quick hug and walked past him and onto the bed. He watched her.

He began to make his way to the door, but he remembered something. "Also, Hinata. There'll be a special dinner tonight to welcome you and introduce you to the other… patients." For lack of a better word. Hinata nodded to him, and he left with a small smile on his face.

Hinata studied the necklace Deidara gave her. She thought about what he said.

_This power is only yours, okay?_

Suddenly, she pressed the button.

Deidara felt his necklace vibrate.

_What? Already?_ He thought, turning to enter Hinata's room again. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, swinging her legs.

"Um. Yes?" He inquired awkwardly. She only grinned at him.

"Deidara, would you please tell me what happened that night at the bridge?"

-:-

It's not the newest chapter of Rich Girl, but…

Aagh, I'd hate to call this another idea dump. I'd call it… a break from my other story. Y'know? Augh, I have no excuse.

I missed you guys. So, here I am, writing another fanfiction… DeiHina, of course.

I'll have you know that Deidara's going to be a bit more serious than the other stories. So, yeah.

Thanks for reading so far!


	2. Chapter 2

Second chapter…!

Just this chapter's Rated M because… Well, Hidan gets introduced in this chapter.

-:-

Deidara sighed. He moved to stand in front of her, but she pulled him to sit down on the bed. He wasn't used to being this friendly, but he supposed he _had_ to, at least, if he were to be hanging out with Hinata for a while.

"So? How'd you find me at the bridge?" she asked, starting the conversation.

Deidara took a moment to think of a better thing to say than 'I was sent to follow your every move, and I followed you to the bridge, where you were trying to commit suicide.' When he found the right words, he said, "Well, I was taking my usual nightly stroll when I saw you climbing over the railing of the Konoha Bridge." He glanced at Hinata, who nodded for him to continue. "…Then suddenly you let go, and I had no choice but to jump in after you."

Hinata seemed perplexed at this. "But I would've been fine." Deidara looked at her. "It's thoughts like that that put you here, you know." He said, immediately regretting it. She looked so hurt when he said that. He should learn to be more sensitive.

Just then, the bell for dinner rang. Deidara realized that Hinata hadn't changed out of her outsider clothes. Quickly, he got up and went to her dresser, pulling out one of the many hospital uniforms and tossing it onto the bed. Hinata stared at him, puzzled. "That was the dinner bell," he grunted, taking the shirt and putting it in her arms. "Change into this, okay? You can't be wearing your street clothes here." Silently, Hinata began to unbutton her shirt.

But wait. Something was wrong.

"Deidara…" She started, peering at him oddly. He looked at her quizzically. "Yes?" He really wanted her to hurry instead of fooling around and asking him questions. "Caretaker or not, you're still a guy, and I don't want you watching me change!" She pushed him towards the wall – so close in fact that he had his face squished against it. His muffled, irritated grunts made him realize that she was right, and that he needed to… not watch.

After a few minutes, they made their way down to the dining hall, which was basically a large dining table with about 10 people around it – staff included. It took Hinata a moment to realize that this Mental Hospital, along with the entire town of Konoha, was very, very small. In proportion, she supposed, the small population of Konohagakurians produced only a few schizophrenics, a small, small number of crazy people. She almost felt honored to be part of that small number. Almost.

As she followed Deidara to her seat, she took a look at the people around her.

At the head of the table was who she suspected was the leader/founder of the Hospital. He had piercings along the bridge of his nose and crazy piercings on his ears. Next to him was the receptionist she met earlier today.

Then to his left were two people who looked to be in her situation: one patient, one caretaker. The patient, she observed, was blue in skin color. His hair, also blue, was spiked up, and she could tell just by looking that he was very tall. His eyes were intense, and she could've sworn that she could see gills – if she squinted. He suddenly turned to her, and she squeaked and glanced away quickly, turning red with embarrassment. Deidara glanced at her and then at Kisame, who grinned a wide smile at both of them.

"That's Kisame." Deidara whispered to Hinata with a small smile to regard Kisame. Hinata dared to look back at Kisame and couldn't look away. His grin was nothing but shark teeth! She couldn't believe it! At least it made the notion of gills more believable. Hesitantly, she gave him a meek smile. "His caretaker is Itachi – the one next to him with the black hair." Itachi heard his name and looked at them. He nodded to them with a small smile – similar to Deidara's small smile, she noticed.

The next two were quite the sight as well. In fact, both seemed to be a bit insane. The patient looked to be incredibly insane – he looked like he was extremely agitated. He was breathing heavily and quickly glancing around the room. His caretaker wasn't with him, which worried Hinata a little. The patient had silver, slicked back hair and magenta/pink eyes. She knew this because he was looking straight at her. It made her uneasy, but she decided to be friendly and smile at him, since he seemed to be on edge enough as it is. Surprisingly, he seemed to calm himself a little bit – he stopped looking frantically around the room, however he was still breathing heavily.

"Hidan." Deidara muttered to her without looking at Hidan. Hinata nodded, looking to the next patient.

The patient and the caretaker looked exactly alike, except one was black (as in the color of your soul black) and white (as in the color of fluffy marshmallows.) Hinata noticed that the one colored black was the patient, where as the one colored white was the caretaker. How strange.

"The white one's Ze, and the black one's Tsu. They're twins." Hinata rested her head on her arm and sighed. _Compared to everyone else, I'm completely sane. What the point of my being here?_ She thought bitterly.

The leader tapped his glass to get everyone's attention. "It would seem that a couple of our residents haven't arrived yet." He peered at Hidan and then at the two empty seats next to Hinata and Deidara. "We can start without them. I'd like to introduce myself to our newest addition, Hinata Hyuga." He motioned for her to stand up, and she did. "Hinata, I am Pein, the leader and founder of this establishment." He nodded to her, and she awkwardly nodded back.

_Pain? What the heck?_ She thought uneasily.

Then, Pein motioned for everyone to introduce themselves, going counter-clockwise around the table.

Kisame, Itachi, Hidan, Ze, Tsu, and Deidara introduced themselves. Just then, two other people entered the room. "Ah," Pein raised a hand to greet the two. "Sasori, Tobi, nice of you to join us." Sasori grinned and sat next to him, Tobi following and sitting next to Hinata. "Hi! It's nice to see you again!" He said immediately. Hinata smiled at him, and before she could say Hello, he started saying, "I do hope you enjoyed your stay so far! How's Deidara treating you? Are you hungry? Has everyone introduced themselves? I'm Tobi! But you know that, don't you-"

"Tobi!" Both Pein and Sasori yelled. Tobi shrunk down in his seat.

Pein told everyone that they may begin eating, and some weird-looking volunteers started serving them food. She recognized some of them from her neighborhood, and when they saw her there, they began to whisper amongst themselves.

"_It's the Hyuga girl."_

"_I knew she was crazy, always babbling on about flying and jumping off of things…"_

"_I know! It's about time they put her here…"_

"Hinata looked down, suddenly ashamed of her situation.

"_Her poor mother. She must be torn. Having an insane daughter."_

"_I heard her father stopped talking to her at the age of 7."_

She heard something _clink_ next to her. She looked over at Deidara, who was clutching his fork tightly. He was turning a slight shade of red and looked very angry.

"_It's just disgusting. Look at all of them. They all look weird and they're all so quiet…"_

"_I know. I can't stand to look at them."_

Deidara suddenly yelled out. "EXCUSE ME!" Everyone went silent, and the servers looked at him. Hinata's heart started pumping as Deidara glared at the people whispering about her. "I'd like another serving of _shut the fuck up._" Pein smirked as the two servers walked back into the kitchen. Soon, the other servers followed.

Hinata just stared at him, as she suspected the other patients and caretakers were doing as well. Sasori suddenly started clapping. "_Thank_ you, Deidara. It's not like we couldn't hear them. Am I right?" He looked around as everyone mumbled and nodded in agreement. Hinata stared at Deidara for a little longer before turning back to her food. She wasn't as hungry as before.

Deidara nudged her shoulder. "I couldn't stand hearing them talk about you like that." He said softly, giving her a small smile. She smiled back, but suddenly a tear fell down her cheek. Quickly, she wiped it away. Looking around, she noticed that the others were glancing worriedly at her. "I-I'm fi –"

The door burst open, and all attention was focused on the new addition to the table.

"Sorry I'm late," the person panted. He had a black mask around his mouth, so his words were slightly muffled. He was also wearing a full-headed hat that covered everything except his eyes. He looked at Hidan, who turned red and stood up.

"KAKUZU, YOU ASS-MUNCHER! WHAT TOOK YOU SO DAMN LONG!" He burst out. The mere anger in his words (and not to mention the cursing) stopped Hinata's tears in their tracks as she watched the event unfold.

"I WAS AT THE PHARMACY, YOU UNGRATEFUL PIECE OF SHIT!" The man – Kakuzu – yelled back. Hinata glanced around the room, and to her surprise, they were continuing their meal as if nothing was happening.

"THOSE ASSHOLES WERE TRYING TO CHARGE ME 30 DOLLARS FOR YOUR MEDICINE! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT _BULLSHIT_ THAT IS!" Kakuzu took his seat at the table and dumped the pill bottle onto Hidan's plate. "THANK YOU, YOU SHITHEAD." Hidan yelled, though this time it sounded like real gratitude instead of raw anger. "YOU'RE WELCOME, PRICK."

Then, it went silent again.

"Kakuzu, meet Hinata. She's new." Kakuzu looked at Hinata, and suddenly his demeanor changed. He stood up and bowed to her. "Ms. Hinata, I must apologize for Hidan's antics just now. It was quite the disturbance, I'm sure." Hidan elbowed him in the side. "You started it, dickwad." He muttered. "It's very nice to meet you," Kakuzu continued, ignoring Hidan's comment. "I'm Kakuzu." He sat down and began eating his meal.

Hinata smiled.

-:-

After dinner, the other residents of the Hospital one by one stopped to ask Hinata if she was alright. She had no idea they cared so much after having just met. It made her feel very happy, which Deidara was happy to see.

When they got back to their room, however, Deidara wasn't convinced she was okay. What the servers said was unforgivable, and if it were him, he wouldn't be alright, either.

Before she stepped into her room, he touched her arm. She turned to him, looking slightly glum – as he expected. "Y-Yes?" She said shyly, her eyes shifting downward. Her vulnerability somehow tugged at his heartstrings, which caught him off guard. He turned slightly red and looked downward as well, letting his blond hair cover his face. "Hey, uh… Are you sure you're alright…?" he asked softly, glancing upward at her.

She trembled a little, and suddenly she buried herself into his arms, which also caught him off guard. She hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Deidara." She said softly, her words muffled by his jacket. Slowly and feeling odd, Deidara wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes, feeling more comfortable than he had in ages. It felt good to hug her.

They stayed like that for a little while before Deidara decided to let her go. He self-consciously scratched the back of his head and tried to look anywhere but in her eyes. She just looked up at him, noticing fully the red stain of a blush on his cheeks. "W-Well, I'm glad you're alright, Hinata." He said quickly, daring to glance at Hinata.

"Um… good night, Deidara…" Hinata whispered, stepping backwards while keeping her eyes on Deidara's face. He stared back at her, his hand still behind his head. She put her hand on the door and slowly closed it. Deidara, without knowing, craned his neck to keep his eyes on her until the door fully closed. Then he took a deep breath and walked around his room, trying to shake off the feeling he had in his gut.

-:-

Later that night, while everyone was asleep, Deidara made his way down to Pein's office.

"Why do I have to be her caretaker?" Deidara asked, thoughts of the dinner and what happened in his room earlier that night racing through his head. Pein studied Deidara carefully before responding. "Well, Deidara, if you want a frank answer, it's because we're understaffed." Deidara scoffed, crossing his arms. "And you know, you still owe us a few favors – your sister is up and about thanks to our help." Pein watched as Deidara grimaced and sighed.

"Look, Deidara. You have to find something to help you forget. No medicine is perfect – all medicine has side effects. Your sister was sick, and we had the cure. She hasn't spoken to you in five years. You have to let her go – "

"Don't tell me to forget!" Deidara almost yelled, cutting off Pein's words. "She hasn't seen me because she doesn't know who I am. That damn medicine you gave her made her forget!" Pein closed his eyes. "And nothing can get her memory back." Before Deidara could give another snide remark, he continued. "The whole point was that she get better, right? Now that doesn't seem to be enough for you." Deidara turned around and started to leave.

"She's in a better place, Deidara! You need to stop focusing on the past and move on! Hinata can help you do that, I'm sure –"

Deidara slammed the door closed and walked ahead a couple of steps before standing perfectly still. Hot tears burned in his eyes and he angrily wiped them away. With anger heavy in his heart, he began making his way to the front doors of the Hospital, determined to find his sister and make her remember. He wanted to see her so badly.

As he made his way down the front path, something against his chest started to vibrate silently. He pulled it out of his shirt and looked at the blinking red light. Betraying himself, he felt his stomach flutter. Grudgingly he made his way back to his room, not noticing the tears falling down his cheeks.

When he made it back, he slowly opened the door to Hinata's room, waiting for her to tell him what happened. However, he only saw her on her bed, lying face-down into her pillow. Alarmed, he ran over to see if she was alright, though when he touched her, she stirred and went back to sleep. He saw that her necklace was under her body, and that her stomach pressed the button that called him back to her.

Silently, he laughed to himself. He gently pulled the necklace from under her and placed it on her side table. Then, as an afterthought, he lightly touched her cheek, brushing some hair from her face. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Thank you," and stalked back to his room to sleep.

-:-

What's this!

Deep plot!

Emotional turmoil, secret deals and exchanges!

What tomfoolery is this!


	3. Chapter 3

Obsessing over Soul Eater…

:0

-:-

Hinata stared at the small cylindrical container, confused and upset.

"You've taken pills before, right?" Deidara asked as he walked into the bathroom to get a glass of water for her.

"Never." Hinata whispered, not loud enough for him to hear. How did you even open it?

Deidara returned to the room, giving Hinata a confused look – similar to the one she was giving the pill container. "Um. Hinata?" He sat next to her, setting the glass down next to the pills. She looked very uncomfortable. "Can't I switch to some liquid medicine or something?" She asked, turning to him. Her hair gracefully fell to her back, he noticed. However, he had bad experiences with liquid medicine, none of which he was willing to remember if Hinata switched to it.

"They only have it in pill form," he lied. She pouted and looked downward, making him shift uncomfortably. He immediately regretted the lie, something he didn't usually do. "What do I need pills for, anyway? I'm not sick, am I?" Hinata whined. Deidara knew in the back of his head that this was a rhetorical question, but for some reason he didn't care. "Well, actually," – he almost winced at the look Hinata gave him – "Your doctor told us that you've been diagnosed with a slight anxiety disorder." She heaved a heavy sigh and looked like she was a deflating balloon.

"I can't take pills, Deidara. I just can't." Deidara rolled his eyes. He thought she was just exaggerating. "Come on, at least try," he suggested, opening the pill bottle with ease – amazing her – and handing her a pill.

A minute after she tried ingesting the pill, she heaved over and started choking. Deidara performed a Heimlich, ignoring the flurries in his stomach for being so close to her. Panting, she drank water, stood up straight and lifted her arms as if to say, "See?"

Deidara, for a brief moment, held a look of total disgust before surrendering. Hinata felt bad for what she did, but she really couldn't handle pills very well. "Fine." Deidara spat, anger obvious. Hinata flinched back a bit, guilty.

"We'll get you the damn liquid meds."

-:-

"Haha, you _choked_?"

Hinata was in Sasori's office, waiting under strict orders until Deidara came back from the pharmacy down the street.

"It wasn't funny! I thought I was going to die!" She yelped, not finding the situation funny in the least.

Sasori waved his apologies and sat across from her at his desk. "Yes, yes. How's Deidara doing? Treating you well, I hope." Hinata looked downward, visibly disturbed. Sasori frowned. "Hinata?"

Hesitant, she said, "Sasori… Why does Deidara… have such issues with liquid medicine?" Sasori gazed at her. He knew exactly why. Images of that night would haunt him forever, he thought. Hinata looked at him expectantly. "Hinata, that's not my story to tell." He said softly, eyes staring off into space, remembering that time…

Deidara returned, carrying the bag with Hinata's medicine in it. He could sense the tension in the room and watched as Sasori focused back to the real world. "Welcome back, Deidara." He greeted, trying to make it look as if nothing was wrong.

"Yeah. Hinata, let's go back to our room, okay?" Deidara seemed a bit distant, but Hinata agreed, taking a glance at Sasori. He walked up to them, taking Hinata gently by the hand and whispering to her, "You should find a time to ask him about it. I think… it's something you'd like to know ." He winked at her, and she looked at Deidara as he stared back, confused.

They walked back in silence. When they reached their door, Deidara stopped to ask, "What was Sasori saying to you before we left?" Hinata shrugged. "Oh, nothing really…" She thought about what he said and wondered if now was a good time to put that in effect.

Deidara got the door open, stepping inside only to drop the medicine off. "You're going to take one spoonful twice a day, every day, until the bottle runs out. Starting tonight. But for now, just follow me."

He led her to the second floor, where the other residents were sitting in a circle. Hidan, Kisame, Ze, Tsu, and even Tobi were sitting in that circle, their caretakers sitting somewhere else in the room. They were waiting for her, apparently. Ze was at the head of the room, leading everyone in some sort of meditation. "Ah, Ms. Hyuga," his voice was oddly soft and peaceful. Probably the result of the meditation, she was sure. "We're so glad you could come to this Sharing session. We just got through a peaceful meditation session." He offered her a seat, and she glanced back at Deidara, who stood by the door. He twirled his finger in a circle, silently telling her to turn around and pay attention. Blushing, she turned and, well, paid attention.

"Ms. Hyuga, here at the Sharing Circle, we gather as a group – nay, a family – and offer a listening ear to what our members have to say." Ze explained. Hinata nodded, surprised at Ze's ability to calm the mind. She could listen to him all day. "However, today, we'd like to hear a little about yourself. Take this opportunity to know you better. Alright?" Nodding again, Hinata gulped down a lump of nervousness.

"I suppose… Well…" She cleared her throat, appearing very nervous. Ze noticed this, and spoke softly to her, saying, "Hinata, just say what comes to your mind. We're all fine people here waiting to hear your story." Hinata looked at him gratefully, smiling. It calmed her down immediately, and she was able to speak.

"…Ever since I was a little girl, I've wanted to fly." She said softly. She could feel Deidara's eyes on her, and once again she could feel that same feeling she had back in the hospital, when he seemed to have found a connection between them. It pushed her to go on.

"I was always… a weird girl, I suppose. I always tried to give myself the sensation of flying by jumping off of things. Staircases, Chairs, tables… none of them really did it for me, you know?" She looked around as people nodded. "Then… one day – I was thirteen, I think – I decided that I would jump off of something new. The roof to my house." Her once jovial tone about flying turned into a more serious, soft tone. Deidara glanced downward, remembering the day she jumped off her roof. He was watching her from afar, the whole scene. As Hinata explained, he remembered.

Her mother was on the porch and reading a novel when she heard a loud THUD on her front lawn. She gave a blood curdling scream, whereas Hinata gave a light giggle. Hinata walked away with just a cut on her left leg, but to her mother, she might as well have inflicted that cut herself. From his vantage point in the tree across the street, he could hear Hinata's mother screaming bloody murder at everyone, telling the m to call the hospital or something, anything. Her mother made a huge deal out of only a cut, he thought, but somehow he knew it was something else.

"That was the last time my father looked at me." Hinata said, her sadness spreading throughout the room.

"I went to the hospital, and I became another suicidal teenager in the newspaper." On her lap, her fists clenched. "My father was so ashamed… I'm not surprised…" She paused suddenly, unable to control herself. She felt something wet roll down her cheek. "But… I just kept it up. I was addicted to that feeling – that feeling of weightlessness – The more I did, the less I saw of him." Ze and the others shifted uncomfortably – the sadness was so… intense. "Soon, it was only me and my mother. Though, I guess she gave up on me as well…" She was amazed that she was still able to speak, despite the heavy lump in her throat and weight on her heart. Her shoulders began to tremble as she looked around the room.

"I caused them so much trouble… Now I'm here, and I don't know what'll happen…" Deidara, breaking the silence of the others walked up behind her and hugged her to him. He remembered. All of it. He was there, even if he was on the side. Hinata was done, she couldn't say anymore. She just cried, silently into Deidara's arm.

Hidan, who was also bawling, was being comforted by Kakuzu, who made sure to look absolutely horrified to be comforting a grown man. "Dammit, Kakuzu, what th' hell's in that damn medicine you gave me?" He asked, angrily wiping his eyes. "Nothing, Hidan, you're just hormonal. Idiot." Kakuzu patted his back as Hidan cried.

When Deidara made sure Hinata was okay, Ze walked up to her and gave her a tight hug. "Thank you so much for sharing. We appreciate that you trust us enough to tell your story." His soothing voice made Hinata feel much better.

Ze went back to his chair and made the circle continue. They all decided to tell Hinata their story, since she was new and had shared her own story with them.

Hidan was a lawyer once upon a time. Though, he got tangled up in this whole string of debates and cases that stressed him out so much that he exploded into a murderous rage and nearly killed two people. Ever since, he's been known to have extreme anxiety and panic attacks (and an unbearably short temper). He also hyperventilates easily after staying still for too long, which is why he has to get up and walk around the room every few minutes. He also explained that he and Kakuzu were best friends at their law firm – until his breakdown. Hinata found it great how their friendship could last through what happened… though, their friendship looked to be a bit…

"You're just saying that, you moron." Kakuzu mocked, clearly flattered nonetheless. Hidan turned red – a blush of embarrassment – and yelled back a long string of curses that I dare not repeat in this sentence.

Kisame was a marine biologist. He admitted that he got so obsessed with his work that he spent most of his life's savings into genetically altering himself into a fish in an attempt to communicate with his study subjects. It seemed to have worked, except he couldn't speak to fish. He wanted to avoid making any more reckless decisions and made it a point to get cured as soon as possible.

Tobi had no explanation, no story to tell. Though, you could tell something was a bit off about him. Perhaps it was his constant babbling about nothing at all, or the fact that sometimes he talks to inanimate objects. He told her that his caretaker was Sasori, and they were currently trying to find out what was wrong with him.

Tsu was being irritable, so Ze explained their story. "Tsu and I were supposed to be one person, you know." He told her that they weren't exactly human, which seemed oddly normal. They were born from a plant, and it wasn't as sick as you'd imagine. It was a result of their mother plant growing near a nuclear waste facility. They were given a human form and human-like capabilities. Tsu was having a difficult time adjusting to human life and… Pein, the leader of this facility told them he could help. "Adjustment has been slow, but I can still see some progress in him." Ze smiled warmly, which made the story less weird to her. Which, she supposed, was pretty weird itself.

Hinata felt so happy hearing about everyone. She really did feel closer to them – like they were really her family. She turned around briefly, glancing at Deidara, who gave her a small smirk of a smile. Not really knowing why, she blushed and turned around quickly.

She knew that his story was one she'd really like to hear.

-:-

Later that day, Deidara and Hinata went out into the courtyard (which was really just the hospital's backyard) and sat down at a bench by a small man-made pond. Hinata was amazed by how incredibly silent everything was. She was sure that the highway was behind those trees over there, though she couldn't hear the slightest sound from it. It was like they were in their own world.

Hinata watched as Deidara stared into the water. She wanted to ask him what they were doing here, but he looked so focused; she didn't want to bother him. She was fine just sitting with him anyway.

After a few minutes, he took a deep breath and said, "How… are you?" To which Hinata replied with a quick, "Fine." She took a second to contemplate if a quick answer was rude or not. He leaned back and looked at her. "Hinata, I don't understand why you're here." She tilted her head, confused. He scratched the back of his head, suddenly flustered and embarrassed. "I mean… They thought you were trying to commit suicide, but I knew all along that you were just… finding your wings."

_Finding your wings._ Hinata's heart skipped when he said that. It was such a nice phrase when he said it. But wait. "All… along? What do you mean?" she asked. He seemed to flinch, then cursed himself. "Nothing. I didn't mean anything." He said quickly, getting up and walking away. However, he remembered his duties as a caretaker and stopped, waiting for Hinata to catch up with him. She lightly touched his arm. "Clearly you did!" She said firmly, forcing him to look at her.

"I really didn't! Why do you keep asking!" He almost yelled at her. She huffed, let him go, and stomped back inside. Deidara, frustrated, stayed where he was, trying not to yell after her.

"Smooth," Sasori, seemingly from out of nowhere, walked up to him and patted his shoulder. "Shut up. You don't know anything." Deidara hissed, clenching his hands into fists. Sasori shook his head and tsk'd him. "Deidara, she just wants to get to know you. Really." Deidara seemed to calm down at this. "I mean, look at all the other patients. Itachi and Kisame are really close, Hidan and Kakuzu were best friends, Ze and Tsu are twins, technically. Even Tobi and I have made a certain friendship, working with each other for almost three years now. Deidara looked downward. It didn't take a genius to see that Hinata and him were the odd couple out of everyone else.

He blushed. He called himself and Hinata a couple.

Sasori, of course, saw this and smirked. "You know, Pein and Konan don't have to be the only _relationship_ in this building." Deidara flinched at the comment and elbowed him lightly in the chest.

Deidara felt his necklace vibrate, the light blinking red. He quickly ran inside, leaving Sasori to follow. Though he had no idea where to find Hinata, he started heading for their room anyway. She wasn't there, which made him very worried.

"_Go to my office, Deidara."_ Pein's voice came out of nowhere. Deidara and Sasori stopped, chills running up their spines. Where was he talking from? Was he _that_ all-powerful? The thought scared them, but soon Hinata's voice followed. _"Apparently there's a microphone feature on these necklaces."_ She still sounded pissed, but Deidara was glad that she was alright.

When he made it to Pein's office, he immediately started yelling at him. "Deidara! How could you be so irresponsible as to leaving your patient unattended!" Deidara glanced at Hinata, who only gave a "Hmph!" before turning away from him.

"Do you realize what could have happened if she went off on her own? Her mother would have sued us, or worse!" Deidara took the verbal beating, hoping it'd last long enough for Hinata to cool down. Though, he thought the things Pein was saying (which, mind you, were implying that Hinata really was insane) was only making her angrier.

"I want you to leave this office glued to each other's sides. Got it?" Pein gave both of them a stern look before sending them off.

They went back to their room in silence, as usual. Hinata immediately went back to her room, and he just sat at his small table, thinking to himself.

_What was I thinking, saying something like that to her? We've only known each other for three days!_ He felt a bit embarrassed that he caused that much awkwardness between them for no reason whatsoever.

_Finding your wings. What a line!_ He continued to berate himself, scratching his head. He stood up and walked around, walking it off. He sighed and jumped onto his bed. Soon, he slipped into a sort of nap, and he almost didn't notice when Hinata opened the door to her room and stepped out.

She shuffled over to him, taking care to step over his unclean laundry. Making sure he was asleep, she proceeded to the door, which gave a loud creak when she opened it. Deidara sat up, alarmed, and looked at her, confused.

"Where are you going?" He asked, standing up and blocking her way. "I'm going to Sasori's office." She said, not exactly explaining what he wanted to hear. "Let me go with you." He insisted. He didn't want her to leave, and his heart was giving him another reason than getting yelled at by Pein again. "I know how to get there." She walked under his arm and out into the hallway, and he quickly caught up to her. He grabbed her arm and she tried to pull away.

"Are you still angry?" He asked. Hinata glared at him. Wrong question.

She continued to walk, Sasori's office just down the hall.

"Wait, Hinata, let's talk."

Hinata scoffed, stopping at the corner. _Now he wants to talk._ She thought bitterly. He managed to pull her back to their room, where their conversation could be kept private.

"What?" She spat, sitting expectantly on his bed.

"Hinata… what I said out in the courtyard…" Deidara paused, thinking over his words.

Hinata stood up and pressed a finger to his chest. "Why can't you trust me? If you don't think I'm crazy, then what's stopping you from telling me how you feel?" Deidara blushed. _How he felt? About _her_?_ "Tell me what you're thinking, Deidara. Every pair of caretaker and patient here are very close. Why can't we be like that?" She backed away and looked downward, absently scratching her arm and keeping her hand there.

"I don't like being angry at you, Deidara." She whispered.

Deidara stepped forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. He brought his lips down to hers in a rough kiss and waited for her to slap him or push him away.

But she didn't.

It felt like she didn't know what to do, so she tried to step back but lost her balance. They both tripped onto the bed, Deidara on top of her. Both of them were blushing, staring into each other's eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, Hinata. I… I don't know what –" She pulled him down to her by the collar and kissed him again. This time, he was confused. When they parted, they both stood up and stepped away from each other, awkwardly avoiding eye contact by clearing their throats or adjusting their clothes.

Hinata was the first one to speak.

"…A-Apology accepted."

-:-

Yeah, okay.

Gonna go play MapleStory now, ya dig?


	4. Chapter 4

I'll tell you guys why this was late at the end of the chapter. :0

-:-

They didn't speak of the kiss, even though they both really wanted to. Maybe, if given the chance, repeat the incident, only under gentler terms.

However, in yesterday's commotion, Hinata forgot to ask Deidara about his problems with her medicine. She was too afraid to talk to him again after what happened, though. So, instead of engaging in conversation, she decided to really go to Sasori's office. This time, he let her go, and she left him staring at the wall in his bedroom.

Hinata quickly made her way to Sasori's office, not wanting to get caught by Pein again. She knocked twice before Sasori answered the door. "Is something the matter? He asked, letting Hinata in and closing the door behind them. She was silent, which worried him slightly. "Where's Deidara? Did he do something to you?" Hinata turned red, and Sasori smiled knowingly. "Aw, cute." He said, walking around to sit at his desk.

"I didn't expect him to act so soon, though." Hinata snapped her head up and stared at him curiously. "When Deidara likes something, it doesn't take much to get him to…" Sasori winked at her, and she turned even redder. Sasori leaned back and stretched, twirling in his chair a bit. "Well, anyway…" he leaned forward and looked Hinata in the eyes. "Why aren't you with him right now? You know Pein doesn't like patients to be separated from their caretakers."

"I know… It's just that… Well…" Unknowingly, her hand touched her lips, where Deidara's lips had touched just moments before. She thought about how she pulled him back into another kiss before leaving. Why did she do that? She wondered. She also wondered what he thought of her now. Without her knowing, Sasori took her necklace and pressed the button, summoning Deidara to his office immediately. She noticed too late, and she could already hear Deidara's footsteps down the hall. Her heart pumped and she looked around the room for a place to hide. Pretty soon, the door opened, and all Hinata could do was stare as he stared back.

Sasori skipped to Deidara's side, pulling him into the room. "Well, Deidara, I think you and Hinata need to talk something over." He slid out of the room and locked the door from the outside. Deidara didn't seem to mind. Hinata, on the other hand, was freaking out.

_Wh-wh-what? Why's Sasori doing this? What's Deidara going to do? What am _I _going to do? Oh, this is so overwhelming. What are we going to talk about? Ah!_ Hinata shrunk down in her chair, facing away from Deidara. He shifted his weight, looking down at the rug. "Hinata," He said, finally. "What I did earlier… when I… kissed… you…" he cringed at the word – the awkwardness it brought made both of them uncomfortable.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me, or…" He thought of when Hinata kissed him back and cleared his throat. Hinata glanced at him, remembering the same moment. "I said it was okay, right?" She said softly. Deidara looked at her, and she looked back. He took a step toward her and reached out to touch her, but the door opened and Sasori stepped in.

"Hey, I hate to interrupt, but –" Sasori paused when Deidara glared at him. "- we have to go to a meeting with Pein. We're planning for the Hospital's next outdoor trip." Deidara glanced at Hinata and then back at Sasori. "Caretakers only?" he asked. "Ah, yeah. You're supposed to take Hinata back to your room and report to the dining hall." Scratching his head, Deidara took Hinata's hand and pulled her up, and they walked back to their room.

They were still holding hands. Hinata couldn't stop staring at their hands, but Deidara didn't notice. When they got to the room, they stood still, waiting for the other to leave or break it off. Neither did. Neither wanted to. After a long minute, Deidara started, "Um. Hinata… I –" Pein's voice rang on the intercom.

"_Deidara, we're waiting for your existence to be transferred to the dining hall."_

There was a pause.

"_THAT MEANS GET THE HELL TO THE DINING HALL, YOU TWAT."_

Deidara let go of Hinata's hand, gave her one long look and then walked away.

Hinata watched him until he disappeared down the stairs.

-:-

Hinata walked around their room, thinking of how careless it was for Deidara to leave her in his room, where the door was open and the one window was within her reach. Though she wasn't really planning on jumping,(look where it got her) she did want to feel fresh air on her face.

She opened the window and slowly brought her head out.

There wasn't really anything to see that was new. Same old view of the Hokage's Office, same old ramen shop in the corner, same old park across the street. Same old everything. She wondered, briefly what she was missing. She didn't have many friends at school – if any – and didn't really have friends around the neighborhood, either. Well, except this blonde kid who looked to be a little older than her. She'd always see him around, but they never talked.

The adults didn't like her at all. Her older brother Neji meant well, she was sure, but he didn't want to anger the adults, which she understood completely. Well, now she did. Before, she hated him for it. When they were alone, he'd be the nicest kid in the world to her, but when adults showed up, he wouldn't even look at her.

Hinata sighed. She watched the kids at the swings across the street, wondering if the Hospital was going there for the outing.

Bored, she closed the window and sat on Deidara's bed. The sheets were all wrinkled and unkempt, and his pillows were haphazardly placed at the headboard. Some clothes were on the bed, too. Probably laundry from the day before that he didn't bother to clean. She smiled to herself, not really knowing why.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Confused, she got up to answer it. Kisame gave her a big shark-grin. "Hinata, the others and I were wondering if you'd like to hang out with us while the caretakers are having that meeting." He asked, stepping back a little. "Oh… Uh. Where? Is that allowed?" She followed Kisame to the small lounge on their floor, where everyone else was sitting silently. _Quite a party,_ she thought, regretting the sarcasm in the statement.

"Well, it's not really allowed, but we all need breaks from our caretakers from time to time. Y'know? Well, I suppose not, since you haven't been here very long." Kisame took a seat, and Hinata sat next to Tsu, who only stared at her. She shifted uncomfortably. "Um…" She searched her mind for a conversation topic, but none came to mind. Everyone was looking at her expectantly.

"Yeah? What is it?" Hidan spoke quickly and curiously, his leg twitching up and down, as if he were anxious about something. Hinata took a moment to think about what she wanted to say. What did she want to know, exactly? What would they know that she wanted to know? Deidara came into her mind.

"Do any of you know… about Deidara?" she spoke softly, not really knowing what she was asking.

"Not a lot." Hidan said quickly.

"Nothing." Tsu added, not looking like he really cared in the first place.

"What do you want to know?" Kisame inquired. To Hinata, he didn't seem all that insane. He didn't really act like it, either. It made the place feel a bit more… normal. She felt like she could talk to him.

"Um… Well… Deidara seems to have… a past… with this hospital. I'd really like to know more about him. Anything, really." Hinata was sorry she couldn't specify what she wanted to know.

Tobi raised his hand, jumping in his seat like an eager little kid. "Oh! Oh! I know about Deidara! Just a little, though, but I can tell you what I know!" He spoke just as fast as a little kid, too.

"Well I only heart this from Sasori-san but I hear that a long time ago Deidara made a deal with the leader to help his little sister and when the leader agreed something happened so that he got separated from his sister and his sister and his sister and his sister…" Tobi trailed off, repeating those words several times. Hidan kicked him, and Tobi continued with the story. "And his sister doesn't know who he is anymore, and Deidara's still trying to pay off his debt with the leader and that's all I know I hope it helped a little bit."

It took a moment for Hinata to register the story. Tobi spoke like he had no punctuation in his sentences. But what he said did help a lot. She knew what to ask Deidara now. Who was his sister? What happened to her? Did it have anything to do with liquid medicine?

The group could hear the caretakers coming back up the stairs. Quickly but efficiently, they dispersed and returned to their rooms, expertly hiding the fact that they had met. Hinata was so wrapped up in what she just heard from Tobi that she didn't bother to go back to her room and only sat on Deidara's bed.

When Deidara stepped into the room, he looked at her with a confused expression. "Hinata?" He called to her. She looked up at him, and after a minute she looked away. Deidara walked up to her and lightly touched her shoulder. "What's wrong? Why are you out of your room?" After he asked, he knew the answer to the last question. He was too careless and left her in his room instead.

"Can I ask you something?" Hinata said suddenly. Deidara nodded, a bit hesitant. The look he had on his face made Hinata pause to think. _What if he doesn't want to tell me? What if it's difficult for him to talk about it?_ She dismissed the thoughts, convincing herself that she needed to know. "Yes?" He urged for her to continue. Hinata looked at him in the eyes, focusing really hard on him. Then, she took a deep breath and asked,

"What happened to your sister?"

As she expected, Deidara stiffened. He gave her a sullen look, which made her instantly regret asking him. "Who told you…?" She didn't really want to rat everyone out on their secret meetings, so she just said, "I, uh, overheard a conversation." She was obviously lying, and she knew he could tell, but he dismissed it. He had a pained look on his face before sitting down next to her. "That's not a story I'm willing to share." He sighed. Hinata looked visibly disappointed. "At least… Not yet."

He glanced at her, trying to see if that cheered her up a little. She looked back at him, looking a bit better, but not much.

After a long silence, Deidara stood up and turned to her. "So, I guess I have to tell you about the Hospital outing." She looked at him as he walked around the room. "We're going to a park. Not the one across the street, but a bigger, nicer one somewhere in town. There are paths and swings and all that, and we decided to let the patients wander freely – that is, as long as the caretaker is nearby. Patients are still patients, after all…" He stopped by the window, watching the same kids that Hinata saw about an hour ago.

Deidara, however, was looking at the couple sitting at the bench across from the swings. They were just sitting there, arms wrapped around each other, looking very content. He glanced at Hinata, who was absently messing with his sheets. "But, being alone is only optional." He said half-heartedly, saying it in the hopes that she heard him, but also in the hopes that she didn't catch him flirting with her.

_Tch. What am I doing, flirting with her? This is hardly the time, place, or the situation._ He cursed himself, watching as Hinata's cheeks turned a light pink. He almost did, too, but he turned his attention back to the park.

Clearly he was interested in her, he thought. But she was just a patient, and patients are always just patients.

-:-

Hinata wasn't used to seeing the other patients in ordinary street clothes. Even the caretakers were taking a break from their usual shirt-and-tie uniform and wearing jeans and T-shirts. Though, she was thankful to be back in her own clothes again. She wondered why they had to wear uniforms in the Hospital – wasn't the place supposed to make you feel more normal? Well, she supposed that the place wasn't exactly normal in the first place.

"Hey, everyone," Pein gathered everyone to circle around him. "So, here's the thing. The only van available to rent is an 11 seater. That includes the driver and passenger seats, so that really means that there's 9 seats in the back. The good news is that most of you will get a seat. The bad news is, one of you will have to share a seat – that means sitting on someone's lap." Everyone immediately looked to Deidara and Hinata, who decided to do anything but return their looks.

Pein cleared his throat. Loudly. Hinata glanced at him, which was a big mistake. "What? Hinata and Deidara volunteer? Thank you! Everyone, give them a hand for this great sacrifice." Everyone clapped for about 2 seconds before falling silent and filing into the van. Deidara and Hinata got the back corner, while Ze and Tsu sat in the two remaining seats.

Hinata, refusing to sit in Deidara's lap, was trying to awkwardly stand-but-still-kinda-sit-down-but-not-really beside Deidara, but there simply wasn't enough room. When she finally found a comfortable (enough) position, Pein yelled out, "Everyone buckled in!" And without waiting for a proper response slammed down on the gas pedal and jerked the whole van forward.

Somehow, Hinata managed to maintain her somewhat comfortable position, but she knew she couldn't hold it for much longer. "H-How long is the drive, do you think?" She asked Konan, who was the only one up front paying attention to the passengers. "Oh, not too long (Ahem, I hope). About five or ten minutes at the most." Sighing with relief, Hinata felt more confident in keeping her position.

"Guess what, everone? We're lost. It'll take us about an hour to get back, let alone find the park." Pein announced. Everyone groaned, and Hinata almost yelled, if it weren't for her proper upbringing.

Deidara put a hand on her side. "Hinata, come on. Why don't you just sit down? It's dangerous sitting like that with Pein in the driver's seat." He said to her. Hinata shook her head. "N-N-Not necessary! I can hold this for an hour!" She tried lying to herself, but it didn't work. Who was she kidding? Why was she even refusing to sit on his lap in the first place?

Sasori turned a little, spying Hinata's elbow leaning on the back of his seat. He looked at Deidara, then to Hinata, then back to Deidara. Sasori gently pushed Hinata's elbow and watched the chain reaction.

Hinata gasped, Deidara opened his arms to catch her, she squeaked in surprise, but fully relaxed when her legs were relieved of the stress of standing in a moving vehicle. They both blushed deeply, and all Sasori could do was laugh.

"S-Sasori!" Hinata growled at him. He shrugged, claiming that his hand slipped.

"Everything okay back there?" Pein wondered before flying into a rage at a pedestrian who clearly had the right of way. "A-OK, sir!" Sasori grinned.

Hinata kept shifting uncomfortably, to the point where she accidentally kicked Deidara's shin. He flinched, a weird noise similar to a grunt escaping him. He wrapped an arm around her and made her sit still. "Hinata, relax." He said firmly. She quickly whispered an apology, sitting as still as she could. Deidara watched her for a little while. He glanced around – no one was watching them. Gently, he put a hand on her arm, caressing it gently. He leaned forward and whispered into her ear, "Hinata, _relax._"

His closeness only made Hinata even more nervous; however she complied with his request. "You can lean back if you want to; I don't mind." She did, and she felt the steady rise of his chest against her back. She closed her eyes tightly, feeling light headed. Her heart was beating like a drum, and her stomach was doing back-flips. Why was this happening to her? She wondered.

She didn't notice when Deidara wrapped his arms around her waist or when he subtly leaned his head against hers. It felt like they were in their own little world – just the two of them. They didn't notice that everybody was secretly glancing at them for the whole ride.

The good news was that they found the park.

The bad news was that there wasn't enough time to play, and they had to go back.

The worse news was that the park was really just two blocks away, around the corner.

-:-

Okay. So.

Recently I just got a freaking summer job, in which I garden for the next 4 (now 3) weeks and get a $600 stipend.

The work is very tiring, but I really like the people I work with and of course, the garden itself.

As an alternate excuse, I've been dedicating my life to Persona 3, the video game. It's becoming a really sick obsession, and I can't get enough of it.

Thank you for waiting. I'll try to balance Persona 3, Maple Story, tumblr, and writing this story as best as I can.

Oh yeah, I might mix in sleeping or eating if there's time. Haah.


	5. Chapter 5

PERSONA 3. SOMEONE FANGIRL WITH ME.

-:-

It was late in the evening, and almost everyone had gone to bed. Deidara was in Sasori's office, just talking and chatting like friends would.

"And then the guy was like, _You ain't got no pancake mix!_ And it was funny, 'cause the lady just kept on trying to talk and all he said was _You ain't got no pancake mix!_" Sasori was prattling on about a video he saw on YouTube, while Deidara just sat there and pretended to listen. He had other things on his mind, like how Hinata had suddenly asked about his sister, and how she seemed to avoid the question when he asked about who told her about it and…

…and how close she was in the hour-long van ride earlier. And how she was so shy and vulnerable, and how all he felt like doing was keeping her wrapped in his arms and –

"Dei?" Sasori waved a hand in front of Deidara's face. Deidara flinched back to reality and looked at Sasori. "Oh yeah, yeah. I heard about that…" he said half-heartedly, making it obvious that something – someone – was on his mind. Sasori sighed and rolled his eyes. Then, after looking Deidara over once or twice, took a breath and said,

"She really wants to know. About _her_."

Deidara immediately focused on Sasori. He continued. "She's talked to me about it a couple of times. She asked me not too long ago why you had problems with her switching to her liquid medicine." Deidara looked downward, and both were silent for a little while.

"She doesn't like that you don't trust her, Deidara." Sasori said. "She wants… to know you. I think she has a feeling you know everything about her. It's kinda funny, because in reality, you really _do_ know everything there is to know." Sasori shifted himself in his seat, and Deidara only stared at the floor, a pained expression on his face.

"I can't… She doesn't…" Deidara struggled to find a reason – any at all – as to why she didn't need to know. Nothing came up. In fact, his mind was producing reasons that she _should_ know, and they were all pretty solid. He looked up to Sasori, who gave him an I-really-wish-you'd-just-tell-her-the-damn-truth-already look. It was mixed with the She-can't-wait-forever look as well, which helped with the impact it made.

Deidara sat there in silence.

_Ino…_

-:-

Hinata waited until Deidara left before sneaking over to his room. She didn't know why she felt the strong need to snoop around, but it felt necessary.

_If he thinks he's going to fondle me like that without any explanation, he's dead wrong!_ She was, of course, referring to their intimate moment in the van. Sure, she was a bit light-headed at the time, but she remembered every minute of that hour. Periodically, she felt his lips brush against her ear – by mistake or otherwise – and his steady breath constantly running down her neck. His arms caressed her sides as they wrapped around her, and her stomach kept flipping with the van on the road.

Hinata scanned the room briefly. It was a total mess – laundry on the floor, food crumbs and utensils splayed over the table, random bits of stuff all around – how could anyone live like this? Compared to this, her room was clean enough to eat off the floor. Sighing, she decided to sift through the closet first.

It was the right choice, because when she opened the door, a box fell into her arms. It was a box of old photos – of Deidara and a bunch of other people. But… the people all looked familiar to her. Like, the pictures were stills of places she's seen or people she met. She briefly looked through these photos, sometimes recognizing herself in some of them.

Then, at the very bottom were pictures of a much younger Deidara – probably from a few years ago. He looked so young, so carefree. It looked as if nothing could stop him from doing anything.

Next to him in many of the photos was a girl who had the same blonde hair and blue eyes he had. There were many pictures of them together – at parks, in movie theatres, restaurants… _Maybe this is his sister._ Hinata thought silently to herself. The pictures seemed to be in chronological order, and progressively the girl would look a bit thinner or a bit weaker. It was almost as if the pictures were telling a story. They both looked so happy in all of them, even in the last picture.

She felt tears in her eyes by then. Deidara was next to the girl in a hospital bed. He was holding the camera up, and she could almost hear him saying, _"Say cheese!"_ and both of them grinning. Though, Deidara didn't smile like he used to in these photos, so it was still hard to imagine. The girl looked so sick by then, and Deidara looked tired – probably from worrying about her. She flipped back to the first picture of him and his sister. She held it up to get a closer look. It was almost as if they were twins, they looked so alike. But somehow Deidara looked older.

Hinata heard footsteps coming towards their room. Panicking, Hinata shoved the box of photos under the bed and ran into her room, taking the one she had in her hand with her. As she closed her door, Deidara opened his, and he dragged himself to his bed. However, instead of sleeping soundly, he noticed something different about the room, though he couldn't quite place it. As he looked around, he noticed that his closet's door was open. Alarmed, he quickly made his way there to see what happened. His entire being sank when he didn't see his box there.

The box became his top priority, and he started tearing the room apart looking for it. He looked behind his TV, out the window, around the table, in the bathroom, but no luck. Finally he checked under the bed, and to his relief it was there. He sifted through the pictures, taking care to keep them in order. When he reached the pictures of him and his sister, he immediately noticed that one was missing. He had an idea on who had the missing photo, and he didn't like the idea one bit.

Besides, if it had been Hinata, then why would she have any reason to take the photo? He looked so weird with his shorter hair. He barely had the ponytail back then. Still, he just had to check on Hinata. Just to give him peace of mind. Though finding the photo in her hand would prove to be just as unsettling as leaving the situation for the next morning.

Hinata hopped into bed as quickly as she could, hugging the picture close to her chest. She closed her eyes tightly and waited until things got quiet in the other room – for Deidara to be asleep – so she could sneak back in and put the photo back. However, things didn't get quiet. She heard Deidara's footsteps walk to the closet, then around the room. She heard him curse under his breath and get down on all fours to find the box under the bed. She closed her eyes tighter, and for a few moments it really was quiet.

But suddenly, the door to her room began to open, and she heard Deidara walk in. She pretended to be asleep, but it was kinda hard with her heart pounding. She tried to find a place to hide the picture – like under the pillow or something – but Deidara checked there first. She felt him pat her mattress and feel around her blankets. "Ah, why am I doing this…" He muttered to himself, gently rolling Hinata onto her stomach. Hinata was relieved for a minute, thinking that he'd never actually lift her up to find the picture, but at that same moment she heard Deidara's necklace vibrate.

Both of them realized that Hinata was lying on top of her necklace again and pressing the button. Deidara gulped, uneasy, and rolled Hinata over a second time. He froze when he saw the picture pressed firmly against her stomach, and Hinata tried desperately to look asleep. Carefully, he took the photo from her and looked at it, turning around to sit on her bed. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Hinata, I know you're awake." Unsure, Hinata slowly sat up and looked away from him. Not that he was looking in the first place.

"Why do you have this?" He asked softly. "And please don't lie."

Hinata frowned, a bit annoyed. _Don't lie? Isn't that what he's _been_ doing?_

Deidara took her silence as a loss for words, and he turned around to face her. "You saw all of the pictures, didn't you?" He asked when he saw her irritated expression. Hinata only nodded, heaving a soft sigh in the process. Deidara looked downward. He crawled towards Hinata and sat in front of her. He gently laid the picture in between them.

"I guess… I owe you an explanation." He said softly. Hinata glared at him. "Yes, you do." Her eyes seemed to burn with fire in the dim lamplight. Deidara nodded. He shrugged off his jacket and stretched – it was going to be a long night.

"I was a twin, you know." When Deidara said those words, it was like he was entering his own world. He had a far-off look in his eye, as if he were having a flashback.

"My twin was a girl, and her name was Ino. We were very close, since our parents died when we were very young." He seemed to have come back down to earth, but now seemed troubled. "... One day, Ino was diagnosed with a rare and incurable illness. I watched as she got weaker every day. I spent every one of those days with her, and I knew that the doctors were doing everything they could to make her _feel_ better, at the very least." Deidara paused, glancing at her and then looking away again.

"Then, on the day that I was sure she would die, a man walked into the room. With him he brought a proposal – a deal." At this, Deidara took a deep breath, and Hinata could only do the same. "He said he could cure her. He said that the Hospital he worked at did research on certain types of rare diseases – much like the one Ino had." By now he was hugging his knees close to his chest, and clutching the sleeves of his shirt tightly. "He was offering me a cure to a disease deemed incurable. What was I supposed to do?" Hinata heard his voice shake.

"I agreed to have Ino move to the man's hospital. There, they performed a few tests and asked for any and all medical information she had. They mixed a couple things together and made a simple liquid concoction that they said would cure her and keep her alive. All she had to do was finish the bottle in a few weeks, and they promised her condition would improve as she took the medicine." It was here that Hinata noticed in Deidara's eyes a strong, passionate hate for the man who saved his sister. She briefly wondered if this was the cause of his hate for liquid medicine, and if the man he was talking about was…

"However, there was a side effect to the medicine, and they told me about it two weeks after she started taking it." His voice held such malice and spite; it sent a chill down her spine. "I should have noticed it, I realize. We didn't reminisce like we used to, it was as if she didn't remember anything we did before she got sick. Every day she took the medicine, her stare became even blanker than the last, and on the last day of her prescription, she looked confused whenever I walked into the room. It hurt more than I realized at the time."

Hinata looked downward to the bed. Little drops of water hit the blanket, and she realized that she was crying. Deidara noticed and decided to take a small break in the story. He contemplated whether he should tell her the _whole_ story – the one that involved her.

"She… lost her memory?" Hinata whispered. Deidara grimaced, and both were silent for a long while. After he calmed down, Deidara spoke again, but only briefly.

"I suppose… it was for the best. If I didn't let him help, she would have died, and I wouldn't have forgiven myself for letting the opportunity pass by." Hinata let out a choked sob, and Deidara leaned over to her. He wiped her tears away and leaned his head against hers. "Come now, why are you crying?" he asked softly, pulling her into a hug. She wiped her eyes against his shoulder and said, "How could she not remember…? After all you've been through together? She just…" She cried even harder, and Deidara held her tighter. He tried to hold back from crying, but just thinking about it made his heart ache.

"After… all we've been through…" He repeated, burying his face into her shoulder.

The two cried for the rest of the night, eventually falling asleep next to each other, in each other's arms.

-:-

When Deidara woke up that morning (or was it afternoon?) he stared at Hinata for as long as he could. She looked so peaceful, curled up next to him. It was a shame to him that he still wasn't able to tell her the entire truth. The truth that involved her. It was such a small part, he realized, but he still hated wondering what her reaction would be – how much she would hate him.

Deidara shifted uncomfortably on the bed, realizing that he was still in his work clothes. He got up silently, taking care not to wake Hinata, and went back to his room to change. The time was about 1 in the afternoon, which was expected, because they went to sleep at around 3 or 4am. _They're going to give me a world of shit for this, aren't they?_ He thought bitterly, slipping on a clean shirt and pants.

He opened the door and was surprised to see Sasori in front of him, ready to knock.

"Ah, there you are. Where've you been?" Sasori brought his hand behind his back and cleared his throat. Deidara let him into the room. As Sasori looked around, he asked, "It's such a mess in here. Did you have a one night stand or something?" Deidara blushed, his mind immediately wandering to Hinata. "No, stupid. I just… overslept." He cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. "I'll say. It's 1 in the damn afternoon." Sasori laughed.

There was a silence that followed, and after it Deidara said, "I told her. About Ino." Sasori looked at Deidara studiously. "Everything?" he asked in a very serious tone. Deidara turned and leaned against the table. "Well, not _everything._ She doesn't know about how she plays into everything. Or who the people were that I was talking about – but she could probably figure that one out." Sasori looked downward. "Did you tell her the part about how you hate my guts?" Deidara shook his head, and Sasori chuckled. "We didn't get into great detail… We got so sad about it that we cried… Together." Deidara sighed and closed his eyes, trying to remember what it was like to be that close to Hinata.

"Like I said," Sasori started, walking toward the door. "You'll have to tell her one day. She won't leave until you do."

Hinata, not long after Deidara, woke up as well. She heard Sasori at the door, and she heard Deidara let him in.

She heard them talk.

About him, about her, about them.

It was as she expected, she supposed. She didn't think Deidara would tell her everything in one sitting.

With a heavy sigh, she realized that she'd have to get the truth out of him the old fashioned way – by building their friendship.

She could already tell it wasn't going to be easy from here on out.

-:-

I've been listening to a bunch of JPop lately. It's weird, because I kinda stopped for a while, and now it's my addiction.

Any good bands you recommend? Japanese or any other bands in general? I need to update my iPod.


	6. Chapter 6

-:-

"Okay, now Hinata, I want you to take a deep breath and let it out as you lean forward…" Hinata was with Ze in the activity area. They were having an evening group Yoga session, and Ze was teaching them all a new position.

"While in this position, you get to focus more on your abdomen – your lower back and stomach, to be exact." Ze explained in his smooth voice. Kisame grinned and said, "You're very knowledgeable in many fields, aren't you, Ze?" to which Ze modestly nodded. "When I first became human-like, I visited many libraries and other information facilities to learn about my new condition."

"He's a freaking bookworm, I hate it." Tsu said grumpily. Everyone seemed to dismiss the comment, whereas Hinata just gave him a polite smile. Ze closed his eyes. "Why don't we take a little break? Everyone be back here in five minutes, please." Hinata stood up and shook Ze's hand. "I must apologize for my brother. He is rather rude, but it's part of his condition." Hinata nodded. "Condition… What does he have, exactly?" Ze shrugged. "Nothing like an illness… more like a strong passionate hate for being human. I, however, love being human, and he has to learn to accept it." Ze huffed playfully and winked at her. She chuckled.

Deidara walked up to her then, pulling her out of her conversation. "Hey, Hinata…" He got distracted by her light-weight feeling, and he just stared at her body for a minute. "Um. Yes, Deidara?" Hinata cleared her throat, pretending not to notice where Deidara was staring. Snapping his head back up to meet her gaze, he said, "I-I just wanted to talk to you about… last night." Hinata tilted her head downward, but kept her eyes on Deidara. "… What about last night?" she whispered.

In her head, the conversation she overheard last night popped into her head. She remembered about how she had to develop his trust in her before he told her the whole truth, and how she needed to reach out to him in order to do so.

Deidara tried to quickly think of the reason he brought up their conversation last night, but failed. But that was okay, since what Hinata said to him next caught him off guard.

"Do you want to go on a date with me?"

Things got a little quieter, but some tried to make it sound like they didn't hear a thing by continuing their conversation. Both Deidara and Hinata blushed and she cleared her throat. "Um… I mean…" She brought her voice down to a soft whisper, making Deidara lean forward so he could hear what she was saying. "Do you… want to talk about it… over lunch…?"

Behind them, Ze called everyone to come back to the Yoga circle.

Hinata tried to quickly return to the group – whom of which was making no effort to hide the fact that they were staring at her – but Deidara took her by the wrist and leaned close to her ear.

"Make it dinner tomorrow night, and I'll let you go." Hinata blushed, taking a moment to think about it.

"Hinata, we still need our Yoga model for the evening…" Ze chimed from behind them. Deidara pulled her a little closer to rush her decision. Hastily, she nodded, and he smiled.

"It's a date."

-:-

He couldn't help it. How could he _not_ flirt with her like that? Her reactions were so… priceless. However, thinking about her wasn't enough to calm his nerves as he walked to Pein's office late that night.

Pein wasn't a big fan of patient-caretaker relationships, even though he was being a hypocrite about the whole thing (Was Konan his caretaker? Or is Konan the patient?). No one dared to call him out on it – and Deidara was afraid he'd have to be the first one in this argument to let him go out to dinner with Hinata.

Deidara took a deep breath and raised his fist to knock on the door.

Pein opened the door before he could, and Deidara almost pissed himself when he discovered that he almost hit his boss in the face. That would have been a mess.

"Deidara, Sasori informed me about your plans with Hinata. Please step into my office." Pein sat down at his desk, and Deidara sat across from him, trying to remember whether he even _saw_ Sasori during the evening Yoga earlier.

"Deidara… I realize that the real reason of your date with Hinata Hyuga is to inform her – _really_ inform her – of what has been going on for the past few years or so. This is an important conversation, very delicate." Pein paused to stare into Deidara's soul. "However, I will ask that you not reveal what you were planning to reveal to her _just_ yet. You see, I have other plans regarding Hinata Hyuga and her past." By now, Pein had stood up and began pacing around the room – in circles. It was then that Deidara noticed how large Pein's office was compared to Sasori's. It must be the difference in power, he supposed.

"There is something you, yourself, must be informed about, Deidara." Pein looked at Deidara over his shoulder. Deidara looked at him curiously.

"Hinata is not insane."

Deidara, though he already knew this, was still surprised. If she wasn't insane, then why was she here?

"Allow me to explain," Pein said. _Please do._ Deidara thought, taking a deep breath.

"As you may have known, Itachi 's family – the Uchiha Clan – is the richest family in the entire village – the world, maybe. They are the leaders of the police force, in fact, they were the once who invented the universal idea of public protection and law. Since Itachi is one of my employees, I have a very reliable and strong connection to the entire world. Do you understand what I'm telling you so far?" Pein stopped by his bookshelf and stared at Deidara intensely. He nodded, sort of making the connection.

"The Uchiha Clan may be the richest and most powerful family in the world, but the Hyugas are not far behind. You see, they are, in a way, a branch of the Uchiha clan – having raised a long line of very tough, very successful lawyers and politicians. However, the generation that Hiashi Hyuga and his wife created – Hinata – turned out to be less than what they expected her to be. As you know, Hinata has been fascinated with the idea of flight, to the point where it's been an obsession of sorts."

Deidara nodded. He understood now.

"By having Hinata as a patient here – and eventually a cured case – the Hyugas will be another reliable connection."

Deidara didn't really like what he was hearing. In fact, it was making him angry to hear that Hinata was being used in such a way. "It all boils down to business in the end, doesn't it?" He said in a controlled tone. "But why the need for such powerful connections?" he asked.

Pein stayed silent, which only served to rile him up a bit more.

"I'm afraid it's nothing as simple as 'business,' Deidara." He said after a while. Deidara stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. Pein made his way back to his desk, leaning forward on his arms, which were on his desk. He stared into Deidara's soul again and said,

"I am preparing for world domination, Deidara."

This was unexpected. Deidara stared in disbelief at Pein, who only smiled. "That's… That's insane, sir."

To this, Pein replied, "Here at Akatsuki, we're as mad as you are. Only we know what to do."

That next day, Deidara passed by Pein in the hall. They both stopped and turned to each other.

"Deidara, I hope you know that our… _conversation_ last night is extremely confidential. I haven't even talked to Sasori about it." Deidara quickly nodded, but Pein stopped him again. "And as for your… date… tonight. You may go, but please leave any and all important details out of it." Pein gave him a sickening smile – at least, his smiles were sickening to him after last night – and walked away.

-:-

While Deidara was out doing other caretaker things, Sasori stopped by Hinata's room. She was surprised to see him, since it was usually _her_ that stopped by _his_ office. She was also surprised to see him in casual clothing – he didn't even wear jeans on that day at the almost-park. He looked good in casuals, she thought. The loose-fit clothing seemed to fit his carefree attitude.

"Sasori…? What are you doing here?" Hinata stepped out of her room, past Sasori, who was leaning against the wall and holding up his wallet.

"Hinata, in preparation for your big date tonight…" Sasori started, making Hinata blush. "It's not a date… exactly…" she whispered. "… I'm going to take you shopping! We're going to buy you five outfits for any kind of occasion!" Sasori looked more excited than she did, but she still went along with it. She really _was_ in the mood for a new outfit.

"Um… Thank you, but… you really don't have to spend so much money on me…" Hinata followed Sasori out of the Hospital and onto the sidewalk. Sasori shook his head. "Nonsense, nonsense! It's for Deidara's sake, really… He's been looking at you in the Hospital's standard uniforms and your old street clothes – it's time to dazzle him with something new, y'know?" Hinata thought about it for a minute, and then mentally hit herself for taking a minute to think about it. What did she care what Deidara thought of her anyway? Deidara was just a caretaker, and she was the patient… Sure, they shared one tender moment while getting to know each other, and they only kissed once… or twice…

Sasori smiled knowingly when he saw the blush on Hinata's face. Then it faded as he remembered what Deidara had to discuss with her that evening. _It's going to be tough… I hope they can handle it._ He thought as they reached the shopping mall.

Hinata looked around, curious. "What?" Sasori asked, noticing her wonder. "Haven't you ever been to a strip mall before?" Hinata, embarrassed, shook her head. "M-My family orders our clothes from a special tailor from another country." Sasori whistled, impressed. "That's one fancy family you got there."

They walked around for a little while, getting a bunch of nice blouses and fancy dresses – none of which she expected to wear anytime soon, but still. After their little shopping spree, Sasori dragged Hinata into the nearest Apple computer store to check out the latest in computer technology. They both had fun – especially Sasori, who enjoyed showing off how technologically savvy he was. Hinata had never really worked with computers before, so it was very… informative.

However, not long into their visit, people began to notice who Hinata was. By now everyone had heard what happened to her, and they immediately began whispering to each other about it.

"_Isn't that the Hyuga girl?"_

"_Yeah, the one they put in the mental hospital. I heard she was suicidal or something like that."_

"_Really? Dude, that's crazy… what's she doing here? Shouldn't she be at the Hospital?"_

"_I know… Maybe they're just visiting…"_

Sasori noticed how Hinata stopped to listen to what the others had to say. He didn't like how sad she looked.

"_Did you know that her father hates her?"_

"_Oh, man. Really? That's tough."_

"_I know. He thinks she brought shame onto the family for being crazy or something."_

"_I heard that she was really obsessed with birds or something like that. It's totally creepy."_

"_Ew, birds? What's up with that?"_

Hinata closed her eyes and sighed. Sasori huffed and grabbed the nearest set of sound-cancelling headphones. He wrapped them around Hinata's head and held it there for a while. She looked at him, confused as he picked out some music for her to listen to. He only smiled at her as he began to type something up on the computer.

_You shouldn't listen to them. They're a bunch of pricks._

Hinata felt a single tear run down her cheek. She smiled at him, and he smiled back. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and rubbed her head.

_Thank you, Sasori._ She typed back, leaning against his shoulder.

On their way back, they had little conversations about this and that, and got to know each other a little better. And by getting to know each other, I mean knowing whether one preferred to have wasabi in their sushi or not, peel the banana from the top or the bottom, whether they liked reading books one at a time or ten at the same time or not, or if they'd prefer to watch the worst movie they've ever seen in theatres or on DVD – if they had to.

But the thing Sasori really wanted to know was…

"Hinata, Deidara kissed you, right?"

He was delighted by her reaction. She blushed and turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise. "O-O-Only once…!" _Or twice, _she added in her head. Sasori chuckled, patting her on the head. "Did you like it?" This time, she looked away from him, to the ground, with her blush still prominent on her cheeks. She was silent for a while. They were almost at the Hospital, and Sasori stopped her at the door. "Well?" he asked. Hinata took a deep breath, but before she could say anything, Sasori leaned down and kissed her.

Dumbfounded, Hinata just stared at him, and he couldn't help but smirk.

You see, Sasori had this all planned out. He didn't ask Deidara's permission to take Hinata out shopping for the day, and he knew that Deidara would be a bit preoccupied about the date (or something else) to notice her absence. Though he knew that by now, Deidara _would_ have noticed her being gone and would go out to look for her any minute now.

He counted to three in his head. On three, the door swung open, and Deidara stood in front of them, just as dumbfounded as Hinata was. Sasori pulled away, giving a large grin to Deidara. "We're home!" he said in a sing-song tone. Deidara huffed, pulling Hinata into the Hospital by hand. Hinata looked at Sasori, partly angry but mostly just confused. Sasori smiled at her reassuringly – which in reality wasn't all that reassuring – and said, "Just to give you two something to _talk_ about tonight."

Before Sasori could enter the door, Deidara slammed it in his face.

-:-

Walking towards their room, Deidara started to lecture Hinata. "What were you doing with him?" he asked, irritated with Hinata's dazed look. "Where were you the whole day? I was looking for you! Do you realize what would have happened if Pein found out that you weren't with me?" Hinata seemed to be listening to him, but ignoring his questions. She was starting to look a bit irritated with _him_, for some reason. "Hinata, please tell me. I was really…" they stopped in front of their door.

"I don't trust Sasori enough for you to go somewhere with him alone. Alright?"

Hinata looked at him. She could take care of herself, didn't he know that? Sasori happened to be her friend, and they trusted each other. For him to suddenly kiss her like that was just as confusing for her as it was for him. Couldn't he realize that?

"Why do you hate him, Deidara?" She asked, suddenly. Deidara recoiled, taken aback by her question. "H-Hate…" He repeated. Hinata looked away. "I… I heard you two talking the other night." At this, his expression was horrified. He pushed her into their room and closed the door behind them. "How much did you hear?" he asked urgently. Hinata was a bit frightened for a minute, the look on his panicked face making her uneasy. "…M-Most of it… Um…" Deidara cursed under his breath, pacing around the room.

"I don't… hate… Sasori. Not exactly." Deidara explained. Hinata nodded for him to continue. "He was… one of the people who… took care of my sister." He looked at her, but she avoided the eye contact. "He was the one who mixed the medicine for her to take."

_The one that erased her memory of him._ Hinata thought, closing her eyes. Both were silent in his room, but it didn't last long when Deidara's phone started ringing. Deidara went over to check it out, and it was just an alarm. A reminder for the dinner reservation. "We should get going…"

When he said that, there was a knock at their door. Sasori was there, holding up a couple of bags filled with clothes. "Hinata, you left these with me on accident." He smiled at her, despite the glare Deidara was giving him. Deidara took them and slammed the door in his face. Again.

"What did you guys buy?"

Hinata turned a light pink and took the bags from him. "Clothes… for tonight… and other nights…" She trailed off, so Deidara didn't hear the last part. "Clothes?" He gave her a look that she couldn't quite read, and then he shrugged. "Well, why don't you put those in your room and then we'll get going.

Hinata bit her lip. _Maybe I should surprise him…?_ Nodding to both herself and Deidara, she quickly made her way into her room.

About five minutes later, she walked out wearing a green blouse with a white skirt. _It _is_ hot outside, right?_ She thought to herself as she walked out.

"What took you so long –" Deidara stared at her, eyes wide with surprise. He blushed and looked away, muttering to himself. "L-Let's go…" Hinata giggled a little at the look on his face. She was sort of glad that she was going on this date.

Sort of.

-:-

HANNA IS NOT A BOY'S NAME.

Raise your hand if you've heard of it.

(Hint: It's a webcomic.)


	7. Chapter 7

-:-

Hinata tried not to make direct eye contact with Deidara, but he made it next to impossible with him staring at her. He didn't even try to hide it. Weren't they there to talk about something serious?

"You look beautiful tonight, Hinata." He said in an attractive murmur that only she could hear. It made her cheeks burn up, and she couldn't help but look down. "Th-Thank you…" She whispered, not really knowing what to say. He continued to stare until Hinata couldn't take it anymore.

"Deidara… Is it okay if I just ask you questions and you answer them?" She asked. Deidara's stare didn't waver and he only nodded. His smile faded, and she could tell she had his full attention. That was one thing she liked about him – he knew when to quit playing around.

She took a deep breath. Deidara adjusted himself in his seat, as if he were bracing himself for her barrage of questions.

"Where is your sister now?"

Deidara closed his eyes. "She's… with a family friend. She doesn't know they're a family friend, but you know. She's been living with them since she checked out of the hospital, and now she's living the normal life any 20-year-old should." Hinata nodded slowly. "So… You're 20, too." Deidara nodded, then added, "21 next month." Hinata fell silent, trying to think of her next question.

"Was the man who offered the cure…" She trailed off, wondering if she should have phrased that differently. "Pein, yes." Deidara leaned back in his seat. "I owe him a lot… in fact, I'm still trying to pay him back by working here at the Hospital –"

Suddenly, something clicked in her head. "How are you paying him, exactly?" Deidara's face contorted in a way that made it clear that he didn't want to answer that. "How do you mean?" he inquired. Hinata thought a moment and then said, "I don't know – money, services, odd jobs for the Hospital…" Deidara sat up. "I told you – I work at the Hospital." Hinata shook her head as her mind began to piece things together.

The boy she saw periodically throughout her life – the blonde hair, the blue eyes.

The coincidence of him being there when she jumped off the bridge.

The pictures in his box.

_The pictures._

"You work as my caretaker." She said, trying to sound level-headed. He hesitantly nodded, not really liking where this was going.

"…Is that how you're paying back the Hospital? By being my caretaker? Or is it something more than that?" He shook his head. He looked around for a waiter. "Uh, waiter, check please…" he tried to say.

"Deidara, please answer this. Last question, I promise." She said softly. More connections were making everything make sense. It was making her uneasy. Deidara stayed silent, signing off the check and leaving a half-hearted tip. They stood up at the same time, and Deidara grabbed her hand. "Deidara, we can't go back yet, I need an answer –" They stood outside the restaurant for a moment. Deidara gave her a look that, again, she couldn't read. It was different from the one before. Was it… pleading? Worry?

The restaurant was close to the seaside, so they decided to walk along the beach – reluctant as Hinata was to be by the water at night. It was too romantic a setting for Hinata to keep her head straight.

"Please, Deidara." She whispered. Deidara only wrapped an arm around her. "I can't tell you about that, Hinata." She pushed herself away from him and walked ahead. He followed her, easily keeping up with her pace. "Hinata… I –"

She swerved around, a determined look on her face.

"Why do you have so many pictures of me when I was a kid?"

"I can't answer that."

"Was it because you knew me before I came to the hospital? Before I jumped off the bridge?" She continued, walking backwards – away from him. It irritated her even more that Deidara stayed silent. He looked utterly broken, and she was the one tearing him apart.

"What is Pein making you do to pay him back?"

Deidara sighed. He looked out to the ocean and ran his hand through his hair. "I… I can't…"

That was it. She ran. She couldn't stand being with him right now. This 'date,' or whatever it was called, was a complete disaster. Wherever she was going, it was away from him.

She ran until she found a place on the beach where he couldn't find her. She found a bench on the other side of the beach and sat down. She was breathing heavily – she wasn't accustomed to running. But now she had time to think on her own.

Hinata lay down on the bench and looked up at the stars. She was amazed at how visible they were on the beach – it was quite nice.

It gave her time to think alone. She thought about what she thought before, what she thought now, what she thought Deidara thought of her, and whether or not she could take any more of this 'thinking' thing. She was so confused, and she hated it. Why was Deidara being so secretive? Why hasn't she thought about flying since she got to the Hospital? Why did Sasori kiss her? Why did Deidara mean so much to her?

She began to cry, not knowing what else to do. Why was she insane? Why did she want to fly so badly? Maybe she really did want to off herself.

Quickly, she shook her head. No. What a terrible thing to think, really. She had so much to live for, so much to see and find and know. In fact, she might be falling in love right now. It was a bit more complicated than she anticipated though.

There were soft footsteps heading her way, and the sound of them made her sit up. Then she heard heavy breathing, and a familiar silhouette emerged from the darkness.

"Hina… Hinata… I… found… you…" Deidara gasped, leaning over to catch his breath. She didn't move, not really knowing what to say. His knees gave out and he sat in front of her, on the ground. "Don't… do that… again…" He panted, wiping the sweat off his brow. Hinata slowly reached out to him and touched his face. Tears flowed from her eyes again, and Deidara could only hold her hand and look at her. "I'm sorry, Deidara." She whispered desperately. He stood up and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" She repeated over and over, choking on a sob.

"No, Hinata… _I'm_ sorry. I shouldn't… I should've…" Deidara closed his eyes, unable to find the words. "I wish I didn't have to be so secretive with you." Hinata bit her lip. "Can we just… go home now?" She was tired of this. All she wanted to do now was sleep.

On the walk home, Deidara kept looking at her. Her lips, to be more specific. Hinata noticed, and she constantly shifted under his gaze. Finally, when she couldn't take it anymore, she asked, "Wh-What?" to which he replied with another question, "Why did Sasori kiss you?"

How she was supposed to know, she wondered. Sasori was Sasori, and that itself was a mystery. "I don't know, Deidara. All he said was, 'To give us something to talk about tonight.'" Deidara nodded, clearly not satisfied with the answer. "…Why are you so bothered by it?"

Deidara fidgeted, adjusting his jacket and tugging at his collar. Then, after a minute, he calmed down and walked normally. Hinata noticed that his hand was slowly slipping in to hers, and she looked up quizzically at him. He was looking at her, a light pink on his cheeks. "Because…" He pulled her closer to him; she could feel his breath on her forehead. "When I saw him get so close to you… I got really…" He took a breath, as if what he was about to say was very… awkward. "J-Jealous."

Hinata looked at him. He was blushing a dark red, and his arm was awkwardly placed around her shoulders. He was looking off to the side, as if avoiding eye contact. It was all very… cute. She couldn't help but giggle a little. It made him blush even darker. "What about it made you so jealous?" She asked. Deidara cleared his throat and gave her a serious look.

"He should've known…" he started, his hand lightly caressing her cheek. He leaned down and gave her a gentle but firm kiss on the lips. It made her heart skip a beat or two. When he pulled away, he continued, "… that your lips were mine." She stared at him, surprised. Her blush was starting to match his, and it was then that Hinata wanted to give him another big kiss. But before she could step up, he pulled away from her and cleared his throat again. "Ahem. W-We should just go home now, huh?" Hinata nodded, her mind racing with the sensations Deidara gave her with that kiss.

Deidara was walking a few steps ahead of her. It made her almost sad to only see his back, but it also made him a bit easier to read. The slight slump of his shoulders, the loose dangle of his arms and legs – she could make a serious bet that he was beating himself up for what just happened.

Well, he didn't have to.

Pretty soon they got back to the Hospital. They didn't realize it, but it was actually very late at night. They were probably going to sleep in again, but it didn't really matter.

Hinata lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't stop thinking about him – Deidara. It wasn't just the kiss she was thinking about, but him in general. There was so much she wanted to know, yet he still insisted on the air of mystery. Hinata felt the necklace around her neck. She studied it carefully, hoping it would serve as some sort of distraction so she could sleep. But really, she didn't want to sleep. Still, she closed her eyes, but only to contemplate on pressing the button on her necklace.

Deidara was in the other room, face down on his bed. He wasn't too tired, but he longed to fall asleep and forget what he did tonight. How arrogant did he sound, really? She must feel so awkward now because of him. He buried his face into his pillow. When he needed to breathe again, he flipped over onto his back and looked at his necklace. Half of him wanted it to start blinking and vibrate so that he could go to her, but the other half was too lazy to get out of bed.

Then, suddenly, it started to blink and vibrate.

Hinata closed her eyes tightly, holding the necklace close to her chest. What was she thinking when she pushed that button? That he'd come into the room and sweep her off her feet? Well, technically she was already off her feet, laying on the bed and all…

"_Hinata?"_

The voice was coming from the small speaker on her necklace.

"Y-Yes?" She responded. _"What do you… need…?"_ Deidara sounded a bit awkward, but she appreciated it. "Um…" She didn't really know what she wanted.

She heard footsteps in Deidara's room, and soon her door opened. He walked in and stood by her bed, looking downward and kicking the floor with his heel. "I, um, think I know why you called me here." He said softly. _Really? Then please tell me, I need to know._ Hinata joked in her head. She chuckled a little to herself.

"I'm sorry about… earlier. I… shouldn't have just called you 'mine.' I just… got so…" He trailed off, a big blush on his face.

"Jealous." She finished for him. Deidara nodded, gulping.

"You know I don't trust Sasori too much, and I hope you understand. I'm sorry, Hinata." He scratched the back of his head and looked at her. After a minute, Hinata said, "I'm not."

Confused, he removed his hand from his head and let it fall to his side. "What?" He said, dumbfounded. Hinata sat upward and leaned forward towards him. "I'm not sorry at all… that you kissed me." She reached out for his hand and pulled him down to sit. He still looked confused, but fully welcomed it. He sat there and let his heart do the talking.

"Hinata… I know that I haven't been the best person to you, and I know that… I haven't told you everything there is to know about me, but…" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"… I think I'm falling in love with you."

Hinata turned a light pink and stayed silent. Deidara waited for a response, but didn't really receive one. He stood up, her hand still in his. "Well… I guess… that's all _I_ wanted to say." He gave her a soft smile and began to walk away. Immediately, almost as a reflex, Hinata reached out and pulled him back toward her. He gave her another puzzled look, and she returned it with the same confused glance. "Deidara, I…" She began, not exactly knowing what she was about to say. "I think… I might… I mean…" She was so unsure – right now, anything she said could set something the wrong way. What if she said the wrong thing? What did she feel? What should she say?

Deidara stroked her cheek and brushed back some hair. "Let your heart do the talking." He said softly. Hinata took a deep breath and thought about it. Then, slowly, she tugged at his collar and she pulled him down to her so she could kiss him lightly on the lips. When she pulled away, she had the cutest little blush on her face that Deidara couldn't ignore. He kissed her again and again until they both couldn't breathe anymore.

"I… think I… like you, too…" Hinata said softly, her head leaning against his chest. He hugged her tightly, lightly kissing her forehead. "That's… a start." He said with a laugh in his tone.

-:-

Hinata was in Sasori's office for a weekly check-up. Deidara was just outside the door, since he was still uncomfortable with Sasori and Hinata being near each other. He peeked his head in through the crack in the door every couple of minutes, which made talking a bit awkward.

"Sasori… Why did you kiss me last night?" she asked straight out, and Sasori laughed. He leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands. "I told you back then – to give you guys something to talk about."

They heard Deidara mutter '_Bullshit'_ behind them.

"Well, if you don't believe that, I suppose it would be because…" he took a moment to think about it. "To show Deidara that he has slight competition. Or, rather, to tell Deidara that he'd better… _hurry up._ So to speak." Sasori looked directly at Deidara and gave him a certain look that Hinata didn't understand, but for some reason they did perfectly.

"If that's all, I suppose that's all I need for today. Now if I'm correct, you two have your own little meeting to have. Pein's orders, right?" Hinata nodded, looking at Deidara. "Pein wants me to interview you to see if there are any changes in your behavior… But I think we both know the answer to that question." He winked at her, and she blushed.

"Rawr, you two, get a room!" Sasori teased, making them both blush.

Deidara rushed Hinata out of the room immediately, giving Sasori a death glare as the door closed.

_Those two are so cute._ Sasori thought, leaning back in his chair.

-:-

Okay… Here… Uh… Yes…


	8. Chapter 8

-:-

"Hinata, you've been here for about a week or so. This interview is just a thing we have to do to document your progress." Deidara and Hinata were outside, sitting across from each other, even though they secretly wanted to sit next to each other. "Um… What exactly are we going to do?" Hinata asked, shifting uncomfortably on the bench. Deidara looked at the clipboard and then her. "Well, I'm going to ask you questions, and our only request is that you answer them without lying. Okay?" She nodded, biting her lip. What if nothing's changed?

"Okay, first question. Recall your first day here. How did you feel then, and how is it different from how you feel now?" Deidara read off the clipboard. He looked at her, and she gave him a skeptical look. "I was hoping to answer a question that was more… _engaging_, wouldn't you?" Deidara rolled his eyes, raising the clipboard and pen in defense. "I didn't write the questions, Pein and Konan did." They continued to the next question.

"You were diagnosed with suicidal behavior and slight anxiety issues. Do you feel that your medicine has helped at all?" At this, Hinata shrugged. "I don't feel any different… and I was never suicidal." She played with a leaf that fell next to her on the bench. "Okay, then I suppose as an alternate question…" Deidara looked at her instead of the clipboard this time, which made her think that he was making this question up. "Have you thought about… flying… at all during your stay?"

Hinata took a minute to think about this. "I… I don't think so…" Deidara looked at her for a little longer before writing something down on the clipboard. "That's very strange… you loved flying so much back then…" She leaned forward a bit. "What do you mean, 'back then?'?" Deidara looked at her again and winked. "Slip of the tongue." Hinata leaned back, confused. What was he getting at?

They continued with the interview, which consisted of nothing more than 'How do you feel about this?' questions that were worded differently every time. It was quite boring, except for the hidden messages Deidara was trying to send her through made up questions from his head. She just didn't understand what he was trying to say. At the end of the interview – as they were walking back inside – she asked, "What were you trying to tell me back there? I don't understand."

He wrapped an arm around her and pressed his lips to her ear. "I'm going to tell you everything – someday." Then as they entered the building, he stepped away from her and walked towards the receptionist's desk to turn the papers in.

She used this time to think about how she's changed. She tried to think about flying as she used to – the best thing, almost like breathing. But, sadly, that's not how she felt anymore. It was as if breathing had a new meaning to it. One that was more accessible, one that she could hold in her arms and talk to and kiss – she gasped.

Deidara was walking back to her, a slightly concerned look on his face. "What's wrong?" He saw the look on her face and sat next to her. He put a hand on her shoulder, and it was like he was allowing her to breathe again. She stared at him in disbelief. She didn't fully understand it all until now – the kisses, the hugs, the beating hearts – but now it all made sense.

"Deidara… I'm… I'm in love with you!" She almost shrieked.

Luckily, no one else was within earshot, so Deidara just smiled at her. "I know… It's written all over your face." He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, and then her lips. She loved how it felt when he kissed her, she really did. She stayed close to him as she followed him back outside to the courtyard.

"What are we going to do now?" Hinata let go of him, since Ze and Tsu were meditating by the pond. Tsu didn't look like he was enjoying it too much, since he was focusing his attention on Deidara and Hinata. "Well, I was going to sneak us out of here so we could hang out, but Tsu seems to be watching us." Deidara and Hinata slowly walked towards Ze and Tsu.

Ze, who felt their presence when they stepped outside, opened his eyes and greeted them with a smile. "Ah, Deidara, Hinata! Would you like to join us in our only-when-it's-sunny-outside meditation?" He offered, ignoring the scoff Tsu gave. Hinata looked at Deidara, who only nodded. Hinata's presence seemed to put Tsu at ease, so all four of them closed their eyes.

After a few minutes, Hinata felt a nudge from Deidara. She looked at him as he pulled her up. "They're not watching anymore." He said softly. Hinata almost giggled as they sneaked their way out of the courtyard. Ze, who knew all along what they were planning to do, chuckled to himself as Tsu continued to meditate.

Hinata and Deidara laughed to themselves as they walked farther and farther away from the Hospital. "Where are we going?" Hinata managed to ask in her fit of giggles. Deidara's laughter faded, and so did hers. They slowed to a stop at the entrance to an old abandoned park that no one ever goes to. It was abandoned because of the new one that was built down the street. Deidara opened the gate with a loud creak and closed it behind them when they entered.

"I want… to show you something." Deidara gave her a shy smile as they walked further into the green of the park. Pretty soon they reached a clearing where this huge bird-like contraption was being built. Hinata gasped, and suddenly her love for flying came back to her. It was a bird! I large, mechanical bird! She squealed as she circled around it, practically skipping in her steps. Deidara loved to watch her, and when she skipped back to him he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"You still love flying, don't you?" he asked. Hinata nodded vigorously, returning his hug. "Well, I have a lot to tell you, but I think you should know this, first." He led her to the ladder that allowed them to climb on top of the bird. Hinata clutched him tightly, since she didn't want to fall off. From there, the bird slowly began its ascent to the clouds. Deidara stood up and helped Hinata to her feet. They glided over Konoha village, watching the city and the countryside.

"I love flying, too." He whispered in her ear. She jumped up and hugged him tightly. She leaned forward as if to kiss him, but she stopped, suddenly too shy to do it. He brought his hand up to her head and ruffled her hair a bit. He laughed, and Hinata realized that this was the first time she's seen him like this. He looked so carefree, happy – his smile was wider than ever.

They stayed on that bird for a while, just flying in long circles around the city. They briefly talked about how Deidara controlled the bird, which he said was a secret. "What's one more secret in this relationship, anyway?" He said half-heartedly. The bird was getting ready to land, and Hinata leaned on Deidara and closed her eyes. "Do you think… we can do this again sometime?" she asked softly. He nodded to her as he helped her off the bird. "Whenever you want, Hinata."

They sneaked back into the Hospital, but not very successfully. In their absence, the entire hospital was in an uproar, with Pein in the center of it.

"Where the hell are they? Go find them! The courtyard! The spare rooms! The Odd Animal Containment Facility!"

"Sir, we don't have one of those!"

"Well check it anyway!"

Deidara and Hinata tried hiding themselves in the crowd, but Pein found them in an instant. As usual, Pein displayed more hidden powers that couldn't be explained. "Deidara! Where the hell have you been!" He looked down at Deidara and Hinata's interlaced fingers and sighed. "I see. I need to speak with you in my office… privately. This instant." Pein gave Hinata a nod, and Konan led her away from Deidara and to her desk at the front.

When they were gone, Pein led Deidara into his office.

"Deidara, you remember what I told you, right?" Pein sighed as he sat down at his desk. Deidara nodded, uneasy about the feeling he got from Pein's look. "I shouldn't have let this go as far as it did. I need Hinata to be level headed when she is returned to her parents, not loopy from a fling at the Hospital!" Deidara didn't reply. Pein sighed again and rubbed the space between his eyes. "What I'm trying to say is… Don't let this get too out of hand. I need you to get her involved in the Hospital's activities, not yours. Remember that you have a job to do. A debt to pay. Got that?" Deidara nodded, and Pein pulled out a stack of papers.

"Now I have to brief you on what you've missed."

-:-

Hinata sat next to Konan at the front desk. Konan was on the computer watching some Korean Drama while answering a phone call. When the phone call ended, Hinata said, "You don't get much work to do around here, do you?" Konan spun around in her chair and shrugged. "It's something Pein let me do to keep me busy." She paused the K-Drama and faced Hinata. "Keep you busy?" she repeated, and Konan nodded. "This may seem hard to believe, but I'm the patient in our relationship." Hinata tried not to look surprised, but she guessed it didn't work, since Konan only smiled at her.

"I'm too obsessive. Over anything, really, but my main obsession is origami. I can't stop folding paper to save my life. But I guess that's changed now. Since my hands are busy typing and answering phone calls, I haven't been able to make a simple crane!" Hinata nodded. She was more interested in why Konan called it a _relationship._

"I have improved my condition, though. I don't feel the need to fold paper anymore, and I have Pein to keep me busy when I'm not at my desk." Konan smiled at Hinata, who could only nod in wonder and curiosity. "So does that mean you two are…" she trailed off, feeling a bit awkward about asking.

"Married? Yes, of course…" Hinata's jaw dropped. That was way unexpected, but it still seemed right. Pein and Konan seemed perfect for each other. She briefly wondered if her and Deidara would end up like that. "Not many people know about it – we wear our rings on a necklace." She pulled the necklace out from under her shirt and showed it to her. "He hates to admit it, but he'd be lost without me. He can't organize files to save his life." She looked a bit distanced then, but soon came back to earth when Hinata asked, "Did you two start out as just patient and caretaker?"

Konan nodded. "Of course. Though, we knew each other before the Hospital even started. I put the idea in his head, I think." Konan explained that Pein started the Hospital when they were just 17. It was around the time that they just started dating, and Pein was told that Konan had a very strange obsession with paper. When the obsession was diagnosed as a mental illness, Pein was inspired to create a place to help people get over their illnesses. The whole story was very interesting, but the look in Konan's eye was very… saddening.

"After I was cured, his motives for running the hospital kept changing. They became darker and more cynical – his goal right now is just downright insane, I –" Konan stopped herself and looked at Hinata. "I – I've said too much, I'm sorry." Hinata looked at her curiously, but before she could ask about it, Deidara and Pein walked out of his office.

Whatever Pein and Deidara were talking about, they were finished. She could tell by the tired look on Deidara's face, and the business smile Pein gave her as he retreated back into his office. Deidara told her that they'd be hanging out in their room for the rest of the evening, and that Pein was sending them to their room without supper as 'punishment' for sneaking out.

Hinata glanced back at Konan, who just stared at her with a look that told her, _I want to talk to you again._

She replied with a glance that said, _Soon._

-:-

Deidara and Hinata made their way back to their room in silence. Both were thinking over what they just heard from Pein and Konan.

Was Pein suggesting that he stop going out with Hinata? Were they even going out in the first place? He scratched the back of his head and tilted his head downward.

He felt something tug at his sleeve, but when he looked, nothing was there. He looked at Hinata, who quickly turned away from him. Her arm was swaying a bit awkwardly as she walked, and Deidara smiled a little. He reached out, took her hand, and brought it up to his lips to kiss it. Her head swerved around, the look on her face priceless. She looked like she was about to yell at him, but she stopped herself.

Hinata calmed down and looked deep in thought. "What are you thinking about?" Deidara asked, genuinely curious. Hinata shook her head. "Nothing, I… was just…" She looked unsure about her wording. "I was hoping to… talk with Konan again. More often. Very soon. Um…" She squeezed his hand and brought her other hand up to her face. "Konan? Why?" Deidara asked. Hinata took a deep breath, and heaving it out with a sigh, she said, "I think… She's worried. About Pein. She says that he wants to do something crazy with the Hospital, and I'm afraid that there's no one else she can talk to about it. And you know, I _am_ the only other girl here, so I was thinking…"

Deidara nodded, recalling what Pein revealed to him about his plans. "That's awfully kind of you, Hinata, but…" She looked up to him with pleading eyes. He couldn't look away, and as a result, he couldn't deny her anything. "… but I think that I can schedule some free time for you to do whatever you want…" They arrived at their room, and Hinata smiled. She gave him a small kiss on the cheek and pulled him into the room. "I need to talk about you with _someone_."

She giggled then, and he realized that it was the most beautiful thing he's ever heard. He never really heard her laugh, but he knew that he wanted to hear it more often. He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her close to him. "Deidara? What –" He kissed her softly on the lips, and then trailed lightly down to her neck. She couldn't help but smile and giggle again. She heard Deidara make a soft noise before saying, "Oh my _god_, Hinata. I want you to do that all the time."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, showering her with more kisses. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. "Do what?" She asked, resting her head on his shoulder. He kissed her neck and trailed down her shoulder, over her clothes. "Laugh." He murmured softly. She closed her eyes and smiled.

They walked over to her room and jumped onto her bed. They laid next to each other in silence for a couple of minutes. "Deidara," she whispered to him. He brought his hand up to her cheek and lightly caressed it. "If you keep giving me reasons to, I'll laugh all you want." He smiled widely at her and kissed her. "… Just as long as you smile like that more often." Because Deidara's genuine smile was something as rare as Hinata's laugh.

-:-

DUUUUUUUUDE.

I'm so obsessed with the band Two Door Cinema Club. Gosh.


	9. Chapter 9

School starts soon.

-:-

_Deidara woke up when he heard Hinata walk into his room. She stopped in her tracks when he looked at her, and she had a look of guilt on her face. Before he could speak to her, she darted out of the room. He followed her all the way down to the reception desk, where – instead of Konan – Sasori sat, as if waiting for Hinata to arrive. _

_Hinata crawled onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Deidara couldn't very well see what they were doing, but he could piece it together. After a few minutes, Sasori turned around and said,_

"_Hey, nobody mentioned me last chapter!"_

Deidara yelled loudly and sat straight up, causing Hinata, who was laying beside him, to jump awake. They both sat up, and Hinata didn't know what else to do except hold his hand. He squeezed it tightly and caught his breath, which seemed to escape him after his odd dream. "What… happened?" Hinata asked cautiously, afraid that he would lash out again. Deidara looked at her and shook his head. "I had a terrible nightmare." He said softly. "Obviously." She smiled at him, indicating that she was being light-hearted. He gave her a small peck on the cheek.

Deidara told her about his dream, and all she could do was laugh her glorious laugh. "That's so weird – what could he possibly mean by 'chapter?'" she sat on the edge of her bed and stretched. He was glad that she saw such humor in his dream, but for some reason it bothered him. Maybe it was a sign to not let Hinata interact with Konan? Or was it a sign that he was somewhat afraid of Sasori? A fear of Sasori. What would that even be called? Sasoriphobia. Haha.

As soon as he thought that, he rapidly shook his head. _What's making me think such stupid things!_ And then he turned to Hinata, who was by her closet, looking for her clean patient uniform. A smile soon formed on his face, and his mind answered its own question –

_Her._

-:-

Hinata and Konan made eye contact on their way to breakfast. Konan was finishing up some last-minute early morning paperwork, and Hinata was walking with Deidara to the dining hall. What was only a couple of seconds seemed to slow down for them, and in those few seconds Hinata smiled. Konan, confused, just stared back at her. Then the breakfast bell rang, and everyone was in the dining hall.

Deidara, of course, noticed. He was still a bit uneasy about his dream, but he figured that the more he thought about it, the more it would distort into something more hideous than it originally was – a dream.

He was quiet all through breakfast, but he did listen in on Hinata's little conversations with the other patients.

"So, Hinata, I heard you and Deidara got in trouble yesterday." Kisame said, catching the attention of the others at the table. Luckily, Pein decided to be late to breakfast, as he always was. Hinata swallowed her food, which looked to be more difficult than usual. "Y-Yeah… That's right…" She said awkwardly, hoping that it wasn't sending the wrong idea. Kisame grinned his big shark grin. "… For sneaking out…?" he said, laughing a deep bellowed laugh that she would have expected from someone that large and blue.

She laughed along with him, nervous and shy, before answering him. "Something like that… but nothing too serious!" She took a sidelong glance at Deidara, who just looked back at her. She saw him give a small hint of a smile, which made her smile back. They heard Kisame give a loud chuckle and say, "My, you two have something going on, don't you?" Both of them blushed and looked at each other. Their eyes were sending out questions like, _Going on? What's going on? Do we have something going on? Going on what?_ And so on.

Sasori, who apparently was waiting for the right moment to make his extravagant appearance, burst into the room with a gigantic flourish. His arms spread open wide, hands gesticulating, and declared with all his soul – "They're the most _adorable_ couple you've ever seen!" Deidara, beating his personal record, got pissed in 0.46 seconds, whereas his previous record was 0.57 seconds.

Sasori, who was deciding to be exceptionally _bubbly_ this morning, pranced – yes, _pranced_ – around the table towards Hinata, placing both hands on her shoulders. "I know what you may think – this dashing beauty is unfit to be the lover of this pile of rubbish beside her! But it's true!" Sasori heaved a heavy, theatrical sigh and made his way to his seat.

Hinata was left blushing, and Deidara staring daggers into Sasori's head. Deidara stood up abruptly and pulled Sasori out into the hallway. Everyone heard muffled yelling, and after a few minutes, Deidara returned without Sasori.

"Jesus, Dei, what'd you do to Sasori?" Kakuzu asked. Deidara only smiled and said, "Let's just say we won't be seeing him for a while."

-:-

Hinata and Deidara were walking around the hospital, an arm's length away from each other. They didn't want to let anybody know that they were dating, even though they didn't really make it clear to each other that they were even going out. (Perhaps the constant hugging and kissing was just a subtle hint?) And plus, things were still a bit hazy in the getting-to-know-each-other department.

They passed by the reception desk again, and Hinata realized that she passed by the desk all the time. It was a lame thing to notice after two weeks of living there, but did Konan always look at her as she passed by? She gave her a reassuring smile and turned to Deidara. She reached out and tugged at his sleeve. He looked at her, and then at Konan. There was a moment of awkward eye contact, but Deidara pulled Hinata out into the south hallway before anything happened.

"Please?" Hinata asked, her irresistible begging face slowly forming. Deidara looked the other way. "Look, Hinata, I know how you feel, but Konan… She's married to Pein, you know that?" Hinata pouted and looked downward. Deidara gazed at her for a few seconds before straightening his back and taking a half-step back. Was he standing too close to her?

Hinata faced him, her arms behind her back. "What if… I paid you back?" She had a blush on her face, which made Deidara turn red, too. "Wh-What are you t-talking about?" He asked hesitantly. "I mean… If you let me hang out with Konan, I'll pay you back." She turned a darker shade of red, which was leading Deidara to think of the shady kind of 'pay-back.' Hinata took a step toward him, looking both ways to make sure no one was watching. Deidara gulped and said, "W-Well, how are you planning to… p-pay me back…?"

She stepped up so that she was right in front of him. "When we get back to our room this evening…" Her hands rested on his chest as she leaned up to whisper in his ear. He was so red that he was almost purple. His hands rested on her hips, which was oddly satisfying. Hinata made a soft squeak of surprise that made him melt a little. She mustered up enough courage to say what she was going to say. "… When we get back, I'll… I'll kiss you… a lot."

So here we are, Hinata walking towards Konan and Deidara standing where he was, still recovering from the cuteness shock he just received.

Sasori, who of course was watching the whole thing, walked by Deidara while holding a pack of ice to his cheek.

"Hey, I saw that. What were you two getting so lovey-dovey about?" He noticed how red Deidara was and chuckled. Deidara put his hand over his face and closed his eyes, taking a breath for seemingly the first time. "I love her," he said dreamily, a goofy smile on his face. Sasori adjusted his ice pack and patted Deidara on the back. "I know. The Hospital knows. The whole world knows, Deidara." Deidara stood up straight and said, "Ha," as a sarcastic laugh.

"You know what she said to me?" Deidara said after a while. "What?" Sasori asked. "She said, '_I'll kiss you a lot.'_ God, she's so damn cute." Sasori nodded and watched as Deidara crept up to watch Hinata.

-:-

"Hey, Konan." Hinata leaned over the reception desk and smiled at Konan. She looked relieved that she was there and took off her secretary head phones. "Hinata… Hi."

Konan pulled up another chair for Hinata, and the two sat in a comfortable silence for a little while. Hinata waited until the constant calls seemed to stop. _I wonder who calls the Hospital all the time…_ When Konan put the phone down, she set it to answering machine and swerved her chair to face Hinata. "It's so great to see you again! Well, I mean, I see you every day, but it's great to actually _talk_ to you, y'know?" Hinata nodded, smiling at Konan's enthusiasm. It was a bit mismatched, since her face was so mature and calm and collected, whereas her tone of voice was uppity and happy.

"I wanted to talk to you about Pein." Konan said after a pause. Hinata straightened herself up in her chair, looking attentive. "What about Pein?" She asked. Konan cleared her throat and looked downward. "He's starting to worry me. He's becoming so obsessed with his plans for the Hospital, it's starting to become an obsession." Hinata was amazed that Konan could open up so easily to her. Was she like this to everyone? Or was it because she's surrounded by men 24/7?

"What is Pein planning that's making you so worried?" Hinata asked softly. Konan looked almost excited to tell her, but stopped. Konan's gaze was aimed behind her, and Hinata turned around. Pein was walking towards them, his business smile fading into a more… maniacal one. Konan's excitement visibly shrank, and she gave Pein a short nod.

Suddenly, Pein put a hand on Hinata's shoulder, making her flinch in surprise. "Hinata, where's Deidara?" he asked, spinning Hinata around in her chair. Konan put her hand on Hinata's arm and looked at Pein seriously. "Deidara went to the bathroom. I was keeping an eye on her while he was gone." She said in a steady tone. Pein stared back at her. "I see. Well, see to it that she's back in Deidara's custody. Meet me in my office in five minutes." Konan nodded, and Hinata watched as Pein gave her a small kiss on the cheek before stalking off to his office.

Hinata felt Konan's hand tighten its grip. Next to her, she sighed and let her hand return to her lap. "He's going to ask me what we talked about." Hinata felt really worried about Konan. Was Pein the abusive kind of husband? Konan shook her head, as if she read her mind. "He doesn't hit me or anything. On the outside, he's actually very normal. It's just that… being married to him makes me the first one to notice when something's wrong." She smiled as she said this, which reassured Hinata a little.

Konan reached over to Hinata's necklace and pressed the button, summoning Deidara to her side. "Don't worry, it'll all be clear when you finally get to leave." Hinata and Konan stared at each other for a long minute, waiting for Deidara to arrive. Then, when he did appear, Hinata gave Konan a smile. "I'll talk to you soon, okay?" Hinata said reassuringly. Konan's smile widened, and then she walked away.

-:-

Deidara walked a little closer to Hinata on their way back to their room. "How'd it go?" he asked. Hinata shrugged. "She's really worried about Pein. It's so rude how he's making her worry like that! They need to have a good, honest-to-goodness talk about each other." She huffed, making Deidara want to wrap her arms around her. He didn't, of course. They were still in the hallway. But when they arrived to their room, the thing that was at the front of Deidara's mind was…

Hinata fell silent; her cheeks flushed a bright red. "I guess… It's time to… P-Pay you back…" She said softly, looking up at him shyly. Deidara shrugged, trying to seem casual. "You don't have to… if you don't want to." He stared at her, watching her expression carefully. She turned a darker red and stepped up to him. Her hands rested on his chest again and she stood on her tip-toes to reach his lips. Deidara automatically wrapped his arms around her tightly.

Since height was a bit of an obstacle, Hinata had them both lie down on the bed. Her kisses were short and sweet, almost to the point where Deidara thought she was teasing him. She wasn't, of course, but she didn't know what the kisses were doing to Deidara's sanity. He started kissing her back with more passion and intensity. Before Hinata could get too into it, he pulled away and leaned his head against hers.

She looked at him curiously, and he stared back. He didn't know what to tell her; it was too embarrassing to say. "I guess… that's enough kissing for tonight." He said awkwardly. Hinata only smiled at him, putting her hand in his and interlacing their fingers. "… Good night, then."

Deidara held on to her hand until she was barely out of reach and let her walk away to her room.

-:-

So my first week – er, three days of school – just ended.

I can tell it's going to be a fun but hectic year, and I'll hate gym. (What self-respecting basement hermit doesn't?) But I'll live.

(Sophomore Power! (Not really. (Everybody hates us.)))


	10. Chapter 10

Hinata's meetings with Konan happened every day, and every time the two would get closer. They'd talk about simple things, like what kind of sandwich they'd prefer, or what their favorite color is. Pretty soon, they became close enough to tell each other anything.

Well, almost.

It didn't bother too much that Konan wouldn't talk to her about Pein and the Hospital, but that was okay. If it wasn't relevant, it wasn't relevant, and Deidara always had her on a tight time schedule. There was always something to do in a mental hospital.

Today was the day before her "Monthaversary," which was Hospital talk for "Congratulations! You have successfully survived one month at Akatsuki Mental Hospital!" Konan had mentioned it a couple times the week before, but Hinata saw no real thing to celebrate. Though, upon further reflection, she did make good friends with all the people living here. Being here, she realized, made her a bit happier than she would have been in the real world.

As she walked through the halls, everyone kept looking and grinning at her. It was when they passed Pein in the hall and he gave her a big hearty grin that Hinata got fed up with it all. She stopped Deidara, who of course was walking next to her, and huffed. "What's with everybody? Why are they acting all goofy?" Hinata huffed again and crossed her arms. Deidara chuckled and put his hands on her shoulder. "Well, here. Tell me this – What day did you arrive at the Hospital?"

It took Hinata a moment, but she calculated the date and remembered it well. "Um. August 14th." Deidara smiled. "What's tomorrow?" Again, Hinata thought a moment and gave him an odd look. "…September 14th." It made her smile a little when she caught on to what he was talking about. "It's your Monthaversary, Hinata!" He casually draped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her head.

"But I don't understand why it's a big deal. A month's just a month." Hinata said softly. Deidara stopped this time and looked at her. "How long do you plan on staying here, exactly?" She had nothing to say to that, only thoughts that raced through her head. _How long _am_ I staying here? Has everyone else been here longer? _"Well, the point is, nobody really plans to stay here for _years, _right? So it's always good to celebrate months instead of years." They continued walking again, deciding to take the longer route to spend more time to themselves.

-:-

Hinata didn't expect the Monthaversary to be a big deal. But apparently, it was important enough to warrant a visit to Pein's office. Hinata only recalled being there once before, and that was when she first came here. It didn't change much, but the atmosphere was a bit… tense.

Next to her, Deidara seemed equally anxious. He gave her a nervous smile, which didn't help at all.

Pein stared at both of them, his chin resting on his interlaced fingers. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"Happy Monthaversary, you two. I hope it was a very productive month." Deidara nodded, and Hinata did the same. "Hinata, since it's your first time here, I'll tell you what goes on during your special day."

Pein explained that she wouldn't have to go to any Hospital activities – things like evening Yoga and Sharing Circles – and spend the day doing whatever she'd like. Of course, her caretaker would still be with her, but they were allowed to leave the compound for the morning and early afternoon. It all sounded great and all, but the only problem was –

"At the end of the day, you will have dinner with your parents or immediate family. You will discuss your progress thus far, and they will decide whether or not to take you home." Deidara visibly cringed. Hinata let herself look panicked before regaining her composure. Pein only chuckled. "It's how the system works, you two. I can't let everyone live here forever."

It ended with that, and Deidara and Hinata left the office, free to do whatever they wanted for the day.

Hinata was still very unnerved about her dinner with her family. Who was coming? What would they think? What's _progress_ to them? Deidara squeezed her hand, and when she looked up at him, he kissed her. "It'll be okay," he said softly. Hinata felt like she was about to cry. Instead, she bit her lip and blinked back the tears, following Deidara as he walked out of the Hospital.

They didn't really decide on where to go. Deidara just walked her to the park across the way. They sat on the grass, staring up at the September sky. When Deidara decided that it was silent enough to speak, he said, "I don't know what you're sad about." Hinata's head snapped at him, tears unconsciously falling from her face. "What do you mean you don't know?" she huffed and turned her back to him, sulking. Deidara sighed and let her stay silent.

"I mean, I _know_ why you're sad, but I don't think _you_ know quite yet." Hinata turned back to him. He wiped the tears that were on her face and pulled her onto his lap. She squirmed a bit, but stopped as soon as she started. "Tell me what you're going to miss if you leave." Hinata thought a moment, thinking about the past month fondly. All the people she met, the things she did – she felt like she wanted to continue that for a long time.

"Konan. Itachi, Kisame, Hidan, Kakuzu, Ze,Tsu, Tobi, Sasori…" Deidara grimaced at Sasori's name, and she giggled a little. "I'll miss the Yoga, the Circles, and the activities Pein tried to plan but failed…" A short breeze swept over the grass, and both shivered a bit. In their closeness, they kissed, soft and quick. "I'll miss you the most." The rustling of the trees filled the silence that followed, and Deidara just stared into Hinata's eyes. His eyes held a pained look, like he wanted to tell her something. She placed a hand on his face and he closed his eyes.

After a while, the two headed back to the Hospital, not really knowing what to do for the rest of the day. Hinata talked with Konan again while Deidara went out on his own for a bit.

"I thought you and Deidara were going out on a date today?" Konan asked, though still delighted by Hinata's presence. Hinata shrugged. "We didn't really know what to do. So we came back." Konan nodded, her smile fading into a concerned expression. "What's wrong?" Hinata asked.

"Hinata, I've been thinking." Konan started, staring intently into Hinata's eyes – much like how Pein stares into people's souls. It made Hinata shrink back into her seat a little.

"You have to go home today." This disturbed Hinata a little. No fiber of her being wished to leave. She shook her head. "Why would you want me to leave?" she asked softly. Konan looked around to see if anyone was listening. Then she leaned forward and whispered, "Okay. I'm going to tell you everything that Pein is planning. Alright?"

Hinata took a deep breath, unsure of what to expect.

Konan explained that Pein was planning to change the world using the Hospital. She told her about how Pein was trying to build an alliance with all the rich and powerful families in the world, and how he already had the Uchiha clan under his belt. Hinata was trying to piece it all together, somehow bringing Deidara's past into the mix. In her gut, she knew that Deidara and Pein's crazy plan were connected. But how?

"I think Pein is trying to use you to get the Hyuga clan… Hinata, I want you to be very careful tonight." Konan reached out and held her hands. "I think it would be best if… you went home." What Konan was saying was still swirling around in her head. Slowly, her mind put certain pieces together.

Deidara's sister, Ino.

Her illness.

The cure that Pein provided.

Deidara was still paying off that debt.

Taking over the world? Changing it?

Using her.

Using Deidara.

Deidara using her…

… to pay off his debt…?

Just then, Hinata stood up. "I… I have to go." She said softly. Konan was confused, but let her go anyway. Hinata felt tears in the back of her eyes. Deidara was walking toward her in the hall.

"Hinata! I was just about to go pick you up. Are you two done talking for the day?" He was about to put an arm around her, but she stepped around him. He saw a tear fall down her cheek and he grabbed her arm. She tried to shake him off, but he was stronger than her. "What's wrong? What did Konan say?" Hinata took a deep breath and wiped her tears away.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. Deidara gave her a puzzled look. "Doing what?" Hinata shook her head. "_This!_ Why are you working here? Why are you being my caretaker?" she began stepping away from him, and he kept a firm grip on her arm. "What do you mean? It's… It's my job." He didn't seem too sure, which only made Hinata even angrier. "No! Your debt… you're trying to pay it off, aren't you?"

Deidara frowned. "What are you getting at?" he asked. Hinata sobbed, finding enough strength to loosen his grip on her arm. "You're just…" she stepped away from him as he tried to touch her again. "You're only trying to pay back your debt to Pein!" She tried to quickly gather her thoughts, but only words came out. "The only reason you're being nice to me is because he helped your sister!" Deidara froze. What was she saying?

Hinata ran away from him, around the corner and into the nearest room.

When she looked up, she gasped.

Pein's look pierced through hers, sending chills down her spine.

"I see you've returned from your day out with Deidara." He said softly, closing the file he was reading on his desk.

Hinata gulped, fear making her back up to the wall. Her hand travelled up to her necklace, clutching it tightly in her hand. Pein stood up and began pacing around his room, slowly making his way toward her. He only stared, and she got the feeling that he was reading her like a book. She avoided eye contact and tried to see if she could somehow melt into the wall. It wasn't going so well.

By the time Pein stood in front of her, he had already gathered all the information he needed. She knew that he knew that she knew everything. His plans, who told her about them, and how her family was involved. "Why don't you take a seat, Hinata?" his voice held a tone of malice, almost as if it were a threat. "Or better yet, why don't you give me a good reason why I shouldn't _hurt_ you for snooping around?" Hinata squeaked in surprise when Pein punched a fist into the wall next to her head.

"I… I…" She didn't exactly know what to say. She couldn't rat out Konan, and she couldn't just make a dash for the door. He wouldn't _really _hurt her, right? She closed her eyes, praying, hoping that Deidara would come to her rescue.

-:-

Konan left her desk after overhearing what Hinata said in the hallway. She was making her way towards the commotion, but all she saw was Hinata running in the direction of Pein's office and Deidara standing in the hallway, speechless. She walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Deidara, where's Hinata going?" she asked. Deidara's expression was blank.

_Hinata must be hurting so much right now. Why would she think that? What should I do? What should I tell her? How do I explain to her? _Deidara fell to his knees, his heart suddenly aching. Konan failed to catch him, but kneeled beside him.

"Deidara? Deidara. What happened? Is Hinata alright? Are _you_ alright?" Konan cupped his face and made him look at her. "Ko…nan… Hi…na…ta.." Konan rolled her eyes. She raised her hand and gave him a hard slap to the face. He stood up straight and pressed his hand to his face. "Fuck!"

"Deidara! Wherever Hinata ran off to, she's hurting now, and you need to comfort her." Konan said calmly. Deidara stood there for a minute, still registering what Konan just said.

Then suddenly, his necklace started vibrating and blinking red. It brought him back to what he really needed to do – find her. He ran past Konan and into the hallway where Hinata ran, barging into Pein's office like she did minutes before.

Pein was pinning Hinata to the wall, his expression ready to kill. When Deidara saw this, something stirred inside him. What was it, exactly? Worry? Fear?

No.

Anger.

_Rage._

How _dare_ he touch Hinata like that? How dare he make Hinata look as scared as she did right now?

Deidara stomped over to Pein and shoved him aside, earning a surprised grunt from the leader. Then he pulled Hinata aside, behind him, and faced Pein, looking him in the eye. Hinata rested a hand on Deidara's arm, urging him not to do anything drastic.

For the first time since Deidara first saw him, Pein looked uneasy – disheveled, almost. Pein had let his emotions take over as he got ready to attack Hinata. Now that Deidara knew this, he felt sorry for his boss – well, probably former boss, since he was sure to get fired for what would happen next.

"Well? What are you going to do, Deidara?" Pein asked patronizingly. Deidara only stood still, hand reaching for Hinata's. "Don't forget what we're here for, Deidara. Your debt hasn't been paid. You still belong to me." Deidara's silence was beginning to anger Pein even more. He began to laugh, deep and spiteful.

"You can't just back out of this, Deidara. It's your choice – your darling sister, Ino, or Hinata, your lover." Deidara visibly stiffened, his hand clenching into a fist. The three were silent for the longest time.

Pein smiled triumphantly.

-:-

Hey! How's school? Fine, I hope.

I'm doing alright.

I'm learning French!

Sorry for the late update… my goodness.


	11. Chapter 11

Aah. Hi.

-:-

Sasori found Konan in the hallway, staring into space. He walked up to her and gently shook her back to reality. "Shouldn't you be at your desk right now?" he asked, not meaning to sound bossy. Konan's indifferent face seemed to shift a bit to a frown. "Sasori… I've done something terribly wrong." She whispered softly. Sasori's expression was serious as well. "You told Hinata, didn't you?" Konan closed her eyes and nodded. Her hand moved to rest on her heart, and her fingers clenched into a fist.

"And now…" she paused, letting her thoughts collect. "…I feel like something _bad_ is going to happen."

-:-

Deidara was lost in his thoughts, which at the moment were overwhelming him.

Pein once again took on his calm and collected demeanor, making his way to Hinata. He grabbed Hinata's arm, and she let out a scared yelp. Deidara could only watch as his own body betrayed him by staying still.

"You're going to do just as I say and stick to my plan, Hinata." Pein took out a knife from his pocket. "I've worked too hard for too long to let you ruin this!" He raised the knife to her neck, and all Hinata could do was close her eyes. She felt the warm drops of blood run down her neck as everything faded into darkness.

Deidara ran it over in his head one last time.

Ino, he realized, was doing just fine. There's no need to check up on her anymore. She's never going to remember who he is and what they've shared in the past. She's, in a sense, gone. Forever. That should already be a debt paid to Pein – the loss of his relationship with his sister.

But Hinata… She still exists. She's here, now. And she will be here, forever.

That is, if he doesn't let Pein have his way with her.

Everything happened in a flash after that.

Suddenly, Deidara punched Pein in the face. He flew across the room with a loud thud, knocking over the lamp in the corner. The crash seemed to summon Sasori and Konan to the scene, but that's the last thing Deidara remembered before he started punching Pein over and over again.

And the next thing he knew, he was sitting in the waiting room of a hospital, the beeping of the hallways bringing him back to reality. His hand was throbbing, wrapped up in a red-stained bandage that ran up his wrist. His head was aching a little, too, and he noticed that in his other – also bandaged – hand was a bag of ice for it.

"Feeling better, Mr. Deidara?" A lady in a white coat walked up to him, her companion in a nurse's outfit following behind her with a clipboard. Deidara shrugged, not really feeling up to the task of talking. He wanted to know where Hinata was.

"Your girlfriend is doing fine, by the way. Just a little cut to the neck – nothing fatal, but deep enough to get a stitch. You can go see her now, I think she's awake." The doctor nodded to the room Deidara was sitting next to. Silently he stood up and walked to the entrance.

"And you know the guy you mercilessly beat to a pulp not too long ago? Yeah, he's kinda mad. He wants to discuss your future in your job." Deidara could care less about his job, but the mention of Pein brought back a little of what blanked out on him a little while ago – the fight, Hinata, everything.

Hinata immediately held out a hand to Deidara when she saw him enter the room. She began to cry, which tore Deidara's heart in half. "Deidara… I-I'm sorry I yelled at you! I shouldn't have, it was terrible of me to say those things to you…" Deidara quickly took her hand and leaned over her. Her neck was wrapped in gauze, the stitches making a small lump under the fabric. He stared at her neck and then her face. His hand wiped the tears away.

"I… I'm sorry I let him touch you, Hinata." He whispered. Hinata shook her head. "Don't apologize, Deidara, please…" she whispered back, closing her eyes. Deidara leaned down and kissed her neck, and then her lips. "I can't believe how I blanked out on you like that…" He wanted to punch himself. How could he let such a trivial question stop him in his tracks?

Konan, who was in the room (nobody noticed her until now) walked up to Deidara and put a hand on his shoulder. "I have to talk to you about Pein." She said, her perpetual indifferent expression on her face. Deidara gave Hinata one last kiss before walking out of the room with Konan.

Sasori was waiting outside as well, and when the two walked out he walked in to visit Hinata.

Deidara walked into Pein's hospital room, not really knowing what to say.

Pein just stared at Deidara as he walked in. Deidara stared back, unsure of whether the stare was a glare or just… a look.

"I'm sorry, Deidara." Pein muttered. Deidara nodded. "Me, too." _You know, for beating the living shit out of you._ Pein looked like he was still in a lot of Pein. Deidara was kinda amazed that he did all that. During the long silence, Pein drifted back to sleep – Deidara imagined that his head was throbbing. He just stood there, awkwardly, as Konan walked up beside him.

"Pein has been diagnosed with a mental illness. He's going to be admitted to a mental hospital in another town." Konan explained quickly. Deidara nodded, letting the feeling of relief creep over him. "Since we're married… I have to go with him. We'll be leaving after he heals up in this hospital." Deidara frowned. "We'll miss you, though." He said. Konan nodded. "I'll miss Hinata." At least she didn't say she _wouldn't_ miss everyone.

"Who's going to take over the Hospital?" Deidara asked after a while. "Pein and I discussed this… and he said it was a tie between Sasori and Ze. He's leaning towards Ze, though, and I am too." It was a bit out of the blue, but it seemed right for Ze to inherit the Hospital. They were all sure that he would turn it into a more calming and relaxing place to be.

Deidara went back to Hinata's room, and the day went by slowly after that.

-:-

Everyone had heard of what happened and why it happened, but didn't know what was to happen next.

Konan, in Pein's place, called for a meeting at the dinner table the next night. She explained to everyone what was to happen to Pein and that it was decided that Ze would take over the Hospital from now on. Everyone seemed a bit relieved at this, however what Konan said next would take everyone by surprise.

"Hinata will be sent back home, cured of her illness."

Deidara stared wide-eyed at Konan, who only stared back. When she let her gaze move on to Hinata, she frowned and closed her eyes.

"Pein and I will leave by tonight, whereas Hinata is to pack up and leave by tomorrow night."

Hinata bit her lip and stood up, walking out of the room. Deidara looked at everyone at the table before following her.

Once they were out of the room, people started complaining.

"Why's Hinata leaving so suddenly?" asked Itachi.

"I suppose she never seemed very sick in the first place…" Kisame muttered more to himself.

"I'll miss Hinata…" Tobi sighed.

"Hinata can't leave!" Hidan cried, banging his fist on the table.

"Don't be selfish, Hidan. She should be happy to be leaving a mental hospital." Kakuzu said, though he had to admit to feeling a bit disappointed about Hinata's leaving.

Konan shook her head. "Hinata just wasn't sick to begin with." Everyone fell silent. Sasori closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "I think we all realized that at some point this month." He said softly.

After a long silence, Ze stood up. "I think… we should all be happy for Hinata. She's finally going back home… Let's all wish her well."

-:-

When Deidara found Hinata halfway to their room, she wasn't crying. She stood still as she heard him approach and turned around. The two only stared at each other for a short minute before she finally said, "I don't want to leave." Deidara closed the gap between them and held her hand. "You shouldn't stay here, Hinata." He said softly. Hinata let a single tear run down her cheek. Deidara had her sit down in the hallway's sitting area/lounge. "But…" He let her cry softly until she thought about it some more.

"So much has happened. I can't leave it all here, I'll really go insane." She whispered, letting her hand slip away from Deidara's for a minute. He quickly took it back and kissed it softly. "It'll never really leave you, Hinata." He cooed into her ear. She slowly nodded, closing her eyes. "What'll happen… to us?"

Deidara stayed silent for a little while.

"… I'll never really leave you, Hinata."

-:-

Short chapter, long-ass wait.

Sorry, I'm letting Sophomore year get too hectic. I need to stop slacking…;

What's up with you guys? I hope school's not getting you down – besides, it's break. Have any plans for the end of 2010? Merry Christmas/Holiday You Celebrate At This Time and Happy New Year!

I'll try to update sooner… though I feel that I've said that before.


	12. Final: Chapter 12

-:-

It was a tearful last day for Hinata.

Everyone was helping her pack, though there wasn't much to pack in the first place. Hinata appreciated the gesture.

Then, when everything was packed and Hinata was ready to leave, everyone gathered around the door to say good-bye.

"Hinata… though we didn't spend too much time together, I think it's safe to say that you had some sort of impact on all of us." Ze spoke for the Hospital, even though each of them had something to say.

Itachi was the first to say something to Hinata (after Ze, of course).

"It was simply a pleasure getting to know you, Hinata. I wish you only the best in your life at home." He took both of Hinata's hands and kissed them, like a gentleman.

Kisame gave her a big hug, saying, "Itachi took the words right out of my mouth." Hinata smiled at both of them.

Tobi ran up to her, sobbing loudly in gibberish. Only the words "Hinata," "Miss," and "Why" were understood, but the overall message seemed pretty clear in the first place. He was shoved over by Hidan, who had the brightest shade of red on his cheeks. He looked like he was about to cry, but would rather walk on hot coals using his eyelids before allowing a single tear fall from his cheek. He gave Hinata a tight hug and betrayed himself by crying a little into her shoulder. Kakuzu walked up to them and said, "I think it's pretty clear how much you'll be missed, Hinata. Just know that we all love you dearly and only wish you the best." He summed it all up very well, and it was then that Hinata let herself cry.

Sasori, this time, made his way to her, pulling her into a tight hug. He didn't let go for a long time. "We'll never forget you, Hinata." She nodded, trying desperately to wipe her tears away. "I'll never forget _you_ guys. Ever." She whispered, smiling.

She gave everyone a last glance before letting the door close completely behind her. Deidara and Konan were waiting for her in the car.

"Hinata."

Everything stopped. Sasori had run outside, Deidara and Konan already stepping out of the car and toward Hinata as they saw him walk out.

Pein held up both his hands to calm everyone down. "I'm… not going to hurt anyone. I swear." He mumbled, slightly offended at their defensive maneuvers. "I simply wanted to say good-bye to the ever influential Hinata Hyuga." Hinata seemed to be the most calm out of everyone. The two walked up to each other, staring in silence.

Neither would forget what the other had done, good or bad.

After a few minutes, Pein held out his hand. Hinata took it. "This may very well be the last time we see each other." He said softly. Hinata squeezed his hand. "… Yeah." Another silence.

"Good bye, Hinata." Pein said.

"Hmm… Yes, good bye." Hinata replied, their hands slipping out of each other's grasp at the same time. Immediately Deidara was at her side, taking the hand that had retreated to her side. Pein looked at him. "Good luck to you both."

Konan had to take Pein back to where he was staying, so Sasori and Deidara had to take Hinata back home.

Sasori drove while Deidara and Hinata stayed in the back seat.

"Excited to go back home, Hinata?" Sasori said, awkwardly attempting conversation. Hinata shook her head, silent. Sasori mentally punched himself and stayed quiet. Deidara glanced at Sasori in the rearview mirror, but kept his gaze on Hinata. He tried to notice everything about her before he had to let her go. Her face, the way her hair fell over her shoulders, the way her breathing seemed to match his as she turned to look back into his eyes. She bit her lip to keep back tears, and he kissed her lightly. He lightly trailed his breath down to where her neck stitch was and pressed his lips to it. He stayed there, his face buried in the crook of her neck and closed his eyes.

Sasori pulled up in front of the Hyuga estate's driveway, stepping outside of the car to contact someone inside. He walked slowly to give Deidara and Hinata more time to themselves.

Hinata's breathing quickened and she held Deidara's hand tightly. "I… Don't want to face my father alone," she said softly. Deidara squeezed back. "You don't have to, then. I'll be there." He kissed her fingertips, much like he's done before. Hinata closed her eyes. "What'll he say? What'll he do? Will he take me back, Deidara?"

Deidara felt a bit perplexed by this. Wasn't her father supposed to take her back? That's what usually happens. Was it possible for her father to kick her out? The thought scared him. How could he do that? Where would she go? She wasn't legally allowed to live back in the Hospital, which was where _he_ was technically living at the moment.

Hinata felt that there was no real answer to this question. She began to step out of the car, and Deidara followed. Soon the two found themselves in Hiashi Hyuga's office, waiting for his final word.

Sasori sat in the back, by the door. Deidara and Hinata held hands, despite Hiashi's clear disapproval. There was a long silence, and no one could breathe.

"Hello, Hinata. I see your stay at the Hospital was a… good one." Hiashi spoke, his eyes piercing through Hinata's uneasy gaze. She nodded, squeezing Deidara's hand slightly. He squeezed back, not really knowing what else to do. Hiashi was silent once again.

"Um, Mr. Hyuga… sir." Sasori started, standing up. "We're here to return Hinata to your home… she's no longer ill." Hiashi frowned – or, in his case, kept his normal facial expression – and looked at Sasori. "You think I'm going to let her stay here? After the shame she's brought upon my family?" This time Sasori frowned and looked at Deidara, who held a similar expression. Hinata was lost in her own thoughts.

"I lost faith in my daughter the minute she stepped off that rooftop." Hinata flinched. "I couldn't stand the thought of her sharing the same blood as mine." Deidara squeezed her hand, but she barely felt it. "How could she be mine, when she turned out this… abnormal?" Sasori glanced at the two, unsure of what to do, what to say. "Her mother probably had a fling with another man, that whore…"

Hinata stood up and slapped her father.

The already silent room grew quieter, and Hiashi held a look of pure rage on his face. Deidara already made a move to be in between the two, fearing some form of retaliation from him. Sasori stood beside Hinata, holding her arm by the wrist. Deidara took her other hand. Hinata started to tear up, her tears travelling silently down her cheeks. "You can call me worthless. You can give up hope on me and my life, and you can never understand what I'm going through, but you can never, _ever_ call my mother a goddamn whore!" she yelled.

"Hinata. How _dare_ you raise a hand against me?" Hiashi hissed, ignoring her comment. "You're not healthy at all. You're sick – you're the sickest of them all." He turned to Sasori. "How dare _you_ bring her back here while she's both unwelcome and unwell? What are you trying to do, dump her on me? I have enough burdens to carry!" He turned to glare at Deidara. "Go ahead, take her, date her, I don't care. She'll end up being a whore and jumping off of your rooftops like a crazy person. I'll leave you to deal with that, because I will no longer tolerate it!" Deidara felt a familiar anger rise up in him, but before he could raise his arm to take a hit, Hinata stopped him.

He looked at her, confused. She shook her head, her tears gone and dry. "Don't, Deidara. He never tolerated it in the first place." If anything, it only made him angrier, but he calmed down for her sake. There was another silence, one that Hiashi would not have.

"Leave this place or I will call the police." He growled, not letting the glares he received from the two men waver his anger. "I hope your wife knows you think she's a whore." Sasori spat, slamming the door behind him.

As they stomped through the hallway, Sasori noticed Mrs. Hyuga standing by the doorway, looking like she heard every last word.

-:-

Sasori and Deidara didn't know any other place to take her but back to the hospital. Ze agreed to it wholeheartedly, even more convinced by the story of Hinata's visit back home. She could stay until she found another place to live.

Hinata was quiet for a long time, despite being happy to be seeing everyone again. She just couldn't get over the fact that her father could be so… so… _disrespectful._ Especially towards her mother – _his wife._

Deidara found her one morning just sitting at the window and staring out at the sky. He was worried about her, of course, but couldn't find the right words to say to her. He stood next to her and ran a hand through her hair. Hinata leaned into his arm and he pulled her into a hug. "Hinata… Don't think about your father. You don't need his approval." He whispered as he kissed her head. She shrugged. "I know… It's just… his approval was what I was looking for after all this… What I was _hoping_ for, and now…" Deidara closed his eyes. "It's weird not needing it anymore. I realize that… I'm perfectly capable of finding my wings without him." Hinata sighed.

They kissed for a short while before taking a walk out around the building. Deidara was thinking long and hard about how he would take care of Hinata so that they could be together. _I'll move out. I'll find a home, and we'll live together and we'll never have to live in a Mental Hospital ever again. _He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back, smiling a little at him. He kissed her cheek. "I love you, Hinata." He said, letting his head lean on hers as they walked to nowhere in particular. She giggled a little – a glorious sound – and said, "I love you, too, Deidara." He stopped walking and looked her in the eyes.

"Hinata, I want you to know that…" he paused to gather his thoughts. Hinata listened attentively. "…that I'll do anything to make sure you never have to move back to your father's house. I'll… find a place for the two of us to live." He was suddenly blushing because the whole thing he was trying to say sounded awkward to him. Hinata smiled widely, squeezing Deidara's hand. "I trust you, Deidara," she said.

He grinned, and the two continued their walk, side by side, where they would remain forever.

-:-

Holy BALLS, you guys.

It's been like, a year.

I'm sorry it's been so long. I hope you can believe me.

I have an EXCEPTIONAL excuse as to why this short chapter has been delivered to you today.

There's this website, you see. It's called TUMBLR. You may have heard of it, but for those who haven't, it's a horrible disease that eats away at you, your social life, and all fucks you may have given before. It's tragic, and I've contracted it in the middle of the ending of this fanfiction. So this will effectively be the last chapter, and, if Tumblr hasn't fully taken my soul, I'll cook up a fine finishing epilogue.

I hope life has been kind to you. Thanks for reading, and remember that you're beautiful!


End file.
